(1)Whenever a police officer, not being lower in rank than a sergeant, has reasonable grounds for believing that anything necessary for the purposes of an investigation into any offence which he or she is authorised to investigate may be found in any place and that that thing cannot in his or her opinion be otherwise obtained without undue delay, the officer may, after recording in writing the grounds of his or her belief and specifying in the writing, so far as possible, the thing for which search is to be made, search, or cause search to be made, for that thing.

(2)A police officer proceeding under subsection (1) shall, if practicable, conduct the search in person.

(3)Where the police officer is unable to conduct the search in person, and there is no other person competent to make the search present at the time, the police officer may, after recording in writing the reasons for so doing, require any officer subordinate to him or her not below the rank of corporal to make the search; and he or she shall deliver to that officer an order in writing specifying the place to be searched and, so far as possible, the thing for which search is to be made, and that officer may then search for that thing in that place.

(4)The provisions of the Magistrates Courts Act as to search warrants shall, so far as may be, apply to a search made under this section.

(5)Copies of any record made under subsection (1) or (3) shall immediately be sent to the nearest magistrate empowered to take cognisance of the offence and to the owner or occupier of the place searched.

(6)The occupant of the place searched, or some other person in his or her behalf, shall, in every instance, be permitted to attend during the search; and where possible a local leader should be present during the search.

(7)Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or the provisions of the Magistrates Courts Act relating to the search of premises, no police officer shall search any premises unless he or she is in possession of a search warrant issued under the provisions of the Magistrates Courts Act or is carrying a warrant card in such form as shall be prescribed by the Inspector General.

(8)On the request of the owner or occupier of any premises being searched by a police officer, the police officer shall show that owner or occupier the search warrant authorising the search of the premises or his or her warrant card, as the case may be.

(9)A search conducted under this section shall be carried out in a humane manner and unnecessary damage or destruction to property shall be avoided.