Police officers investigating drug offences in South Australia may rely on either s 68(1)(b) of the Summary Offences Act 1953 (reasonable suspicion) or s 52(6) of the Controlled Substances Act 1984 (belief on reasonable grounds) to conduct personal searches; the two provisions are not mutually exclusive but describe overlapping classes of persons who may be searched. However, s 52(7) (right to be taken before a justice) applies to any personal search for drugs regardless of which provision is invoked. Police officers with limited but relevant experience in a particular drug may give evidence of street pricing based on a combination of personal observation (including telephone monitoring) and hearsay sources such as intelligence reports and information from other officers.
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