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Goods stopped by officers may be detained until trial of persons charged with stealing them.
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206. If any such goods liable to duties of Customs, or prohibited to be imported, or in any way restricted, shall be stopped or taken by any police officer on suspicion that the same had been feloniously stolen, he may carry the same to the police office to which the offender if detained is taken, there to remain until and in order to be produced at the trial of such offender, and in such case the officer is required to give notice in writing to the Commissioners of Customs of such stoppage or detention, with the particulars of the goods, but immediately after such stoppage if the offender be not detained, or if detained immediately after the trial of such offender, such officer shall convey to and deposit the goods in the nearest Customs warehouse, to be proceeded against according to law; and if any police officer so detaining any such goods shall neglect to convey the same to such warehouse, or to give the notice hereinbefore prescribed, he shall forfeit a sum not exceeding twenty pounds.
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207. Whenever any seizure shall be made, unless in the possession or in the presence of the offender, master, or owner as forfeited under the Customs Acts or under any Act by which Customs officers are empowered to make seizures, the seizing officer shall give notice in writing of such seizure and of the grounds thereof to the master or owner of the things seized, if known, either by delivering the same to him personally or by letter addressed to him and transmitted by post to or delivered at his last known place of abode or business, if known; and all seizures made under the Customs Acts or under any Act by which Customs officers are empowered to make seizures shall be deemed and taken to be condemned, and may be sold or otherwise disposed of in such manner as the Commissioners of Customs may direct, unless the person from whom such seizure shall have been made, or the master or owner thereof, or some person authorised by him, shall, within one calendar month from the day of seizure, give notice in writing, if in London, to the person seizing the same, or to the secretary or solicitor for the Customs, and if elsewhere, to the person seizing the same, or to the collector or other chief officer of the Customs at the nearest port, that he claims the things so seized or intends to claim them, whereupon proceedings shall be taken for the forfeiture and condemnation thereof either by information filed in the . . . High Court of Justice in England on the Revenue side, or exhibited before any justice of the peace; but if any things so seized shall be of a perishable nature, or consist of horses or other animals, the same may by direction of the Commissioners of Customs be sold, and the proceeds thereof retained to abide the result of any claim that may legally be made in respect thereof.
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