Section 311 - Taking liquor on board State ship

(1) A person commits a criminal offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding five penalty units,

(a) who brings on board a ship of the Republic a spirituous or fermented liquor without the previous consent of the officer commanding the ship, or

(b) who approaches or hovers about the ship for the purposes of bringing the liquor on board without that consent, or of giving or selling the liquor to an officer, a seaman, or marine in the service of the Republic without that con-sent, or of assisting the officer, seaman or marine to be improperly absent from the ship.

(2) An officer in the service of the Republic, or a warrant or petty officer of the Navy, or non-commissioned officer of Marines may, with or without seamen or persons under the officer’s command, search a ship or boat hovering about or approaching, or which may have hovered about or approached, a ship of the Republic and may seize the liquor found on her, which shall be forfeited to the Republic.

(3) An officer or a warrant or petty or non-commissioned officer, or a constable, may without warrant arrest and detain a person found committing a criminal offence under this section, and take that person before a Magistrate or a Justice to be dealt with according to law.