Arrest powers under Customs Act: senior approval and exceptional use required, with procedural safeguards and mandatory reporting.

Arrest powers under the Customs Act, 1962 must be exercised with restraint and supervisory oversight: empowered officers may arrest suspects of specified customs offences, inform them of grounds, and produce them before a Magistrate, but senior written satisfaction is required in commercial fraud cases; delegation is permitted only with circumspection, immediate written reasons and prompt reporting are mandated when prior approval is impracticable, and exceptional arrests must meet criteria related to seriousness, role, evidence and specified high value or sensitive item considerations.

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