Section 47

Any police officer having reason to believe that a person in or loitering about a pawnbroker’s shop under suspicious circumstances has with him any article dishonestly obtained may detain that person and require him to produce any article he may have with him.

If any article is produced which the police officer has reason to suspect to have been unlawfully obtained, the police officer may take or cause to be taken the person and the article to the nearest police station.

If any person so required to produce such article refuses to be searched, the police officer may take him or cause him to be taken before a Justice of the Peace, who if he sees fit may search the person or order him to be searched, and if any such article is found may detain him with the article so found to be dealt with according to law.[45