(1) The powers to investigate an offence under this Act shall be vested in the concerned warden or an employee of officer rank designated by him or her in case of a national park, reserve, conservation area and buffer zone and the district forests officer or an employee of officer rank designated by him or her in case of a district
having the district forests office and an officer rank employee designated by Government of Nepal in case of a district having no district forests office.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-Section (1), Government of Nepal may, by a notification published in the Nepal gazette form a joint investigation team for investigation of an offence under this Act or may designate any officer to investigate such an offence.
(3) The investigation officer or team formed pursuant to sub- Section (1) or (2), as the case may be, may exercise the following powers while investigating the offence:-
a) To arrest the accused person then and there and to take necessary actions;
b) To conduct or cause to be conducted search at any office, house, building, ware house, transport vehicle,
or any other place according to the laws in force in the course of carrying out investigation of an offence
under this Act or in collecting evidence ;
c) To seize the endangered wild fauna or flora or a specimen thereof related to an offence under this Act
or any material, weapon or transport vehicle used in the commission of such offence;
d) To exercise while investigating an offence, necessary powers as in the capacity of an investigation officer
according to the laws in force.
(4) The Investigation Officer shall, while carrying out investigation under this Act, have the powers as of a police officer under the law in force, with regard to the investigation functions such as taking statements from the accused persons, preparing the cognizance deeds and so on.
(5) It shall be the duty of the security agencies to extend necessary cooperation in investigation works to be carried out under this Act.