Territorial Extent and Application Part 8 – Miscellaneous Border controls Section 100 Lawful interception of postal items by Revenue and Customs
554.Section 100 clarifies the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). The section puts beyond doubt that the protection from interception afforded to postal communications in RIPA does not restrict Revenue and Customs powers to check international postal traffic for customs or excise purposes.
555.The section inserts a new subsection (3A) into section 3 of RIPA. This makes it clear that checks on international postal traffic carried out under section 159 CEMA (as applied to postal traffic by the Postal Services Act 2000) are lawful interceptions for the purpose of RIPA.
556.It also adds persons engaged by the Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to the list of persons in s17(3) of RIPA who may lawfully intercept communications and disclose the contents for the purpose of legal proceedings.