Strip search

A strip search is when a person has to remove part or all of their clothes, to make sure the person does not transport illegal goods. Often, people hide illegal drugs inside their body cavites. Such searches may be done by law enforcement personnel at the border, but they may also be done for example in prisons.  

There are two cases of such searches: In many cases,such as at the border,  people give consent to be searched. In other cases, such as in prisons, many countries have laws that allow for people to be searched against their will. Private companies, for example those that run the security checks at airports can only perform a strip search if there's a reasonable suspicion.  

Being strip-searched is a very intrusive procedure. In order to alleviate the nuisance, people are strip-searched by a person of the same sex. In a strip search, body cavities such as the inner ear, the mouth, the rectum or the vagina can also be searched. It is also common that people who start a prison term are strip searched.   

There are also devices, such as a full body scanner, which can show objects the people have on or near their body. They are often used at airports. To some extent, they can perform the same task, but be less intrusive.

Category:Law enforcement