if the officer suspects on reasonable grounds that the person has secreted on or about their person currency or monetary instruments that are of a value equal to or greater than the amount prescribed for the purpose of subsection 12(1) and that have not been reported in accordance with that subsection.

Marginal note:Search of conveyance

• 16. (1) If an officer suspects on reasonable grounds that there are, on or about a conveyance, currency or monetary instruments of a value equal to or greater than the amount prescribed for the purpose of subsection 12(1) and that have not been reported in accordance with that subsection, the officer may stop, board and search the conveyance, examine anything in or on it and open or cause to be opened any package or container in or on it and direct that the conveyance be moved to a customs office or other suitable place for the search, examination or opening.

• Marginal note:Search of baggage

  (2) If an officer suspects on reasonable grounds that there are, in baggage, currency or monetary instruments that are of a value equal to or greater than the amount prescribed for the purpose of subsection 12(1) and that have not been reported in accordance with that subsection, the officer may search the baggage, examine anything in it and open or cause to be opened any package or container in it and direct that the baggage be moved to a customs office or other suitable place for the search, examination or opening.

Marginal note:Examination and opening of mail

• 17. (1) An officer may examine any mail that is being imported or exported and open or cause to be opened any such mail that the officer suspects on reasonable grounds contains currency or monetary instruments of a value equal to or greater than the amount prescribed for the purpose of subsection 12(1).

• Marginal note:Return of seized currency or monetary instruments

  (2) The officer shall, on payment of a penalty in the prescribed amount, return the seized currency or monetary instruments to the person from whom they were seized or to the lawful owner unless the officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that the currency or monetary instruments are proceeds of crime within the meaning of section 462.3 of the Criminal Code or funds for use in the financing of terrorist activities.

Marginal note:Mail to be made available to an officer

• 21. (1) On request of an officer, any mail that is being sent from a place in Canada to a place in a foreign country and that contains or is suspected to contain currency or monetary instruments that are of a value equal to or greater than the amount prescribed for the purpose of subsection 12(1) shall be submitted by the Canada Post Corporation to an officer.

Marginal note:When forfeiture under s. 14(5)

• 22. (1) An officer who retains currency or monetary instruments forfeited under subsection 14(5) shall send the currency or monetary instruments to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

• Marginal note:When seizure or payment of a penalty

  (2) An officer who seizes currency or monetary instruments or is paid a penalty under subsection 18(2) shall send the currency or monetary instruments or the penalty, as the case may be, to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

Marginal note:Request for Minister’s decision

25. A person from whom currency or monetary instruments were seized under section 18, or the lawful owner of the currency or monetary instruments, may within 90 days after the date of the seizure request a decision of the Minister as to whether subsection 12(1) was contravened, by giving notice in writing to the officer who seized the currency or monetary instruments or to an officer at the customs office closest to the place where the seizure took place.

• Marginal note:Deferral of decision

  (2) If charges are laid with respect to a money laundering offence or a terrorist activity financing offence in respect of the currency or monetary instruments seized, the Minister may defer making a decision but shall make it in any case no later than 30 days after the conclusion of all court proceedings in respect of those charges.

Marginal note:Interest as owner

• 32. (1) If currency or monetary instruments have been seized as forfeit under this Part, any person, other than the person in whose possession the currency or monetary instruments were when seized, who claims an interest in the currency or monetary instruments as owner may, within 90 days after the seizure, apply by notice in writing to the court for an order under section 33.

• Marginal note:Disclosure of information to a police force

  (2) An officer who has reasonable grounds to suspect that information referred to in subsection (1) would be relevant to investigating or prosecuting a money laundering offence or a terrorist activity financing offence may disclose the information to the appropriate police force.

• Marginal note:Disclosure of information to the Centre

  (3) An officer may disclose to the Centre information referred to in subsection (1) if the officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that it would be of assistance to the Centre in the detection, prevention or deterrence of money laundering or of the financing of terrorist activities.

• (b) collects, analyses, assesses and discloses information in order to assist in the detection, prevention and deterrence of money laundering and of the financing of terrorist activities;

• (a) shall receive reports made under section 7, 7.1, 9, 12 or 20, incomplete reports sent under subsection 14(5), reports referred to in section 9.1, information provided to the Centre by any agency of another country that has powers and duties similar to those of the Centre, information provided to the Centre by law enforcement agencies or government institutions or agencies, and other information voluntarily provided to the Centre about suspicions of money laundering or of the financing of terrorist activities;

• (b) may collect information that the Centre considers relevant to money laundering activities or the financing of terrorist activities and that is publicly available, including commercially available databases, or that is stored in databases maintained by the federal or provincial governments for purposes related to law enforcement and in respect of which an agreement was entered into under subsection 66(1);