Power to search, seize and arrest.

(1) If the Collector or a Magistrate of the first or second class, upon information received and after such inquiry, if any, as he considers necessary, has reason to believe that any place is used for the commission of an offence under this Regulation, he may, after recording the substance of the information: (a) enter such place by day or night with such assistants as he may consider necessary; (b) search all parts of such place in which he has reason to believe that any prepared opium or apparatus for the smoking of such opium or for the manufacture thereof is concealed and all or any of the persons whom he may find in such place; (c) arrest any person found in such place, whom he has reason to believe to be guilty of an offence under this Regulation; and (d) seize all prepared opium and apparatus for the smoking or for the manufacture thereof, which may be found in such place; (e) issue a warrant to any officer of the Police (not below the rank of a Sub-Inspector) authorising such officer to do any of the acts specified in clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this sub-section. (2) Whenever any Excise-officer or any Police officer (not below the rank of a Sub-Inspector) has reason to believe that any place is used for the commission of an offence under this Regulation and that a search warrant cannot be obtained without affording the offender an opportunity of escape or of concealing evidence of the offence, such officer may, after recording the grounds of his belief, do any of the acts specified in clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) of sub-section (1).