(1) It is lawful for any officer or any person acting in his or her aid and under his or her direction, if he or she knows of or has cause to suspect the existence in any house or place of any unregistered still or any vessel used in illicit distillation any spirits or low-wines or any wash or other material fit or prepared or being prepared for distillation, to enter into any such house or place and search for, seize, detain and remove any such still, vessel, spirits, low-wines, wash or other material, and for any officer or police officer having a writ of assistance issued from the High Court (which is hereby authorised and required to issue such writ upon application made by the Comptroller of Excise or the Commissioner of Police), or a search warrant under the hand of a magistrate or justice of the peace to break open the doors or any part of such house or place and forcibly enter the same in order to make such search; and if any officer or any person acting in his or her aid and under his or her direction having entered any house without a warrant shall break open any door or lock or forcibly enter any room or place in such search as aforesaid and shall find any such still, vessel, spirits, low-wines, wash or other material, such finding shall be a full justification of such breaking or forcible entry.