Power to search without warrant - Whenever the Commissioner or a

Collector

8[or Executive Magistrate] or any police officer not below the rank of an officer-in-charge of a police station or any excise officer not below the rank

of Prohibition and Excise Sub-Inspector

9[or any Special Enforcement Bureau Officer not below the rank of Sub-Inspector] has reason to believe that an

. Substituted by the Act No.17 of 2020, S.11 . Substituted by the Act No.20 of 1994, . Substituted by the Act No.10 of 1989, S.19 . Inserted by the Act No.20 of 1994

. New section inserted by the Act No.4 of 1994, S.14

. Inserted by the Act No.17 of 2020. S.12 . Substituted by the Act No.17 of 2020, S.12 . Inserted by the Act No.17 of 2020. S.13 . Inserted by the Act No.17 of 2020. S.13

offence under section 34, section 35, section 36,

1[section 37 or section 37A]

has been, is being or is likely to be, committed, and that a search warrant cannot be obtained without affording the offender an opportunity of escape or of concealing evidence of the offence, he may, after recording the grounds of his belief,-

1. (a) at any time by day or by night enter and search any place and seize anything found therein which he has reason to believe to be liable to confiscation under this Act; and
2. (b) detain and search and, if he thinks proper, arrest any person found in such place whom he has reason to believe to be guilty of such offence as aforesaid.