Explosives Act, 2003 (Act No. 15 of 2003)Chapter 2 : Appointment And Powers Of Inspectors And Disposal Of Explosives9. Prints and samples for investigation purposes |
| 1) | Any police official may without warrant take the fingerprints, palm prints, footprints and bodily samples of a person or group of persons or may cause any such prints or samples to be taken, if – |
| a) | there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the person or that one or more of the persons in that group has committed an offence punishable with imprisonment for a period of five years or longer in terms of this Act; and |
| b) | there are reasonable grounds to believe that the prints or samples or the results of an examination thereof, will be of value in the investigation by excluding or including one or more of the persons as a possible perpetrator of the offence. |
| 2) | The person who has control over prints or samples taken in terms of this section – |
| a) | may examine them for the purposes of the investigation of the relevant offence or cause them to be so examined; and |
| b) | must immediately destroy them when it is clear that they will not be of value as evidence. |
| 3) | Bodily samples to be taken from the body of a person, may only be taken by a registered medical practitioner or a registered nurse. |
| 4) | A police official may do such tests, or cause such tests to be done, as may be necessary to determine whether a person suspected of having handled or detonated an explosive has indeed handled or detonated an explosive. |