Schedule 2: Provisions supplementary to Part 2 Importation of indecent or obscene material
193.The aim of this section of the Act is to make the customs offence of ‘importing indecent and obscene material’ a serious arrestable offence under Schedule 5 to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989.
194.The effect of making this offence a serious arrestable offence will be to give customs officers greater powers in relation to their investigation of such offences. The proposal builds on the existing domestic legislation, as child pornography offences under section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1978 are already listed in those Schedules as serious arrestable offences.