# Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2003, Paragraph 9: Powers to seize and retain: controlled drugs


(1) If a CSO—
(a) finds a controlled drug in a person's possession (whether or not he finds it in the course of searching the person by virtue of any other paragraph of this Schedule); and
(b) reasonably believes that it is unlawful for the person to be in possession of it,
the CSO may seize it and retain it.
(2) If a CSO—
(a) finds a controlled drug in a person's possession (as mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)); or
(b) reasonably believes that a person is in possession of a controlled drug,
and reasonably believes that it is unlawful for the person to be in possession of it, the CSO may require him to give the CSO his name and address.
(3) If in exercise of the power conferred by sub-paragraph (1) the CSO seizes and retains a controlled drug, he must—
(a) if the person from whom it was seized maintains that he was lawfully in possession of it, tell the person where inquiries about its recovery may be made; and
(b) comply with a constable's instructions about what to do with it.
(4) A person who fails to comply with a requirement under sub-paragraph (2) is guilty of an offence and shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.
(5) Paragraph 4 applies in the case of a requirement imposed by virtue of sub-paragraph (2) as it applies in the case of a requirement under paragraph 2(1).
(6) In this paragraph, “controlled drug” has the same meaning as in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/6/schedule/2A/paragraph/9 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/police-northern-ireland-act-2003/schedule-2A/paragraph-9
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.