{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/proceeds-of-crime-act-2002-external-requests-and-orders-order-2005/article-65B",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/proceeds-of-crime-act-2002-external-requests-and-orders-order-2005/article-65B.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2005/3181",
  "legislation_title": "The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (External Requests and Orders) Order 2005",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/proceeds-of-crime-act-2002-external-requests-and-orders-order-2005",
  "path": "article/65B",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "65B",
  "heading": "Power to seize property",
  "text": "(1) On being satisfied that either condition in article 65A is met, an appropriate officer may seize any realisable property if the officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting that—\n(a) the property may otherwise be made unavailable for satisfying any external order that has been or may be made against the accused; or\n(b) the value of the property may otherwise be diminished as a result of conduct by the accused or any other person.\n(2) But the officer may not under paragraph (1) seize exempt property.\n(3) “Exempt property” means—\n(a) such tools, books, vehicles and other items of equipment as are necessary to the accused for use personally in the accused’s employment, business or vocation;\n(b) such clothing, bedding, furniture, household equipment, provisions or other things as are necessary for satisfying the basic domestic needs of the accused and the accused’s family.\n(4) In relation to realisable property which is free property held by the recipient of a tainted gift, references in paragraph (3) to the accused are to be read as references to the recipient of that gift.\n(4A) On being satisfied as mentioned in article 65A(1) an appropriate officer may seize any free property if the officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting that it is a cryptoasset-related item.\n(4B) A “cryptoasset-related item” is an item of property that is, or that contains or gives access to information that is, likely to assist in the seizure under paragraph (1) of any cryptoasset.\n(4C) The circumstances in which a cryptoasset is “seized” for the purposes of paragraph (1) include circumstances in which it is transferred into a crypto wallet controlled by the appropriate officer.\n(4D) If an appropriate officer is lawfully on any premises, the officer may, for the purpose of—\n(a) determining whether any property is a cryptoasset-related item, or\n(b) enabling or facilitating the seizure under paragraph (1) of any cryptoasset,\nrequire any information which is stored in any electronic form and accessible from the premises to be produced in a form in which it can be taken away and in which it is visible and legible, or from which it can readily be produced in a visible and legible form.\n(4E) But paragraph (4D) does not authorise an appropriate officer to require a person to produce any items subject to legal privilege (as defined in section 412 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002).\n(4F) Where an appropriate officer has seized a cryptoasset-related item under paragraph (4A), they may use any information obtained from it for the purpose of—\n(a) identifying or gaining access to a crypto wallet, and\n(b) by doing so, enabling or facilitating the seizure under paragraph (1) of any cryptoassets.\n(5) “Free property” has the same meaning as in section 148 of the Act.\n(6) “Tainted gift” has the same meaning as in section 144 of the Act.\n(7) The power conferred by this article may be exercised only with the appropriate approval under article 65F unless, in the circumstances, it is not practicable to obtain that approval before exercising the power.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Ch. 1A inserted (30.11.2015) by The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (External Requests and Orders) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/1750), arts. 1(2), 25"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in art. 65B(2) inserted (26.4.2025) by The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (External Investigations and External Orders and Requests) (Amendment) Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/1127), arts. 1(2), 8(2)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Art. 65B(4A)-(4F) inserted (26.4.2025) by The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (External Investigations and External Orders and Requests) (Amendment) Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/1127), arts. 1(2), 8(2)(b)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/3181/article/65B",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:45:32.650973+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}