28. Unlawful possession of property; search for property stolen or unlawfully obtained

Any person who has in his possession or conveys in any manner anything which may be reasonably suspected of being stolen or unlawfully obtained shall, if he fails to account satisfactorily how he came by the property, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of $2,000

If any person charged with having or conveying anything stolen or unlawfully obtained declares that he received the property from some other person, or that he was employed as a carrier, agent or servant to convey the property for some other person, the court may cause every such other person, and also, if necessary, every former or pretended purchaser or other person through whose possession the property has passed, provided that such other person is alleged to have had possession of the property within the jurisdiction of such court, to be brought before it and examined, and shall examine witnesses upon oath touching the property.

If it appears to such court that any person so brought before it had possession of such thing and had reasonable cause to believe the property to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained, such person is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of $2,500 or imprisonment for 3 months.

The word “possession” in subsections (1), (2) and (3) includes possession in a house, building, ship, vessel, boat or other place as well as possession in a public road or place.

Any person who —

If information is given on oath to a Court of a Magistrate that there is cause to suspect that any property which may be reasonably suspected of being stolen or unlawfully obtained is within any house, building, ship, vessel, boat or other place, such Court may, by warrant directed to any police officer, cause such house, building, ship, vessel, boat or other place to be entered and searched at any hour of day or night.

The information mentioned in subsection (6) shall describe the property which it is reasonably suspected has been stolen or unlawfully obtained, and shall also describe the house, building, ship, vessel, boat or other place in which such property is suspected to be.

If upon the making of the search any property such as that described in the information is found in the house, building, ship, vessel, boat or other place, the police officer making the search or some other police officer shall convey such property before a Court of a Magistrate or guard the property on the spot or otherwise dispose thereof in some place of safety.

The police officer making the search or some other police officer shall also take into custody and produce before a Court of a Magistrate every person in such house, building, ship, vessel, boat or other place in whose possession or under whose control such property is found.

The provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code (Chapter 7)