Five police officers unlawfully and forcefully strip searched a person, and one unlawfully pulled something out of their rectum.
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The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) said officers tried to remove all of an arrested person's clothes in custody.
The apprehended person knew the officers' actions were against police policy of allowing half the body to be covered during a search and started to resist.
"The person's remaining clothing was forcibly removed, and he was taken to the ground by police. During this process, some drug utensils fell from the person's underwear," the IPCA report said.
"As several officers restrained the person, one officer noticed some plastic protruding from the detained person's buttocks. The officer then gripped onto the plastic and pulled it, resulting in the removal of the plastic object from the person's rectum.
"Police found the officers conducted the strip search improperly, as police policy states that strip searches cannot be conducted in rooms where there are CCTV cameras operating, and only two officers should be present during the search.
"It was also a breach of police policy to not allow the person to re-dress after the top half of their body was searched. Police also upheld the allegation that an unlawful internal search occurred when the officer removed the plastic from the person's rectum. "
Any internal search should only be done by a medical practitioner and with the person's consent, the IPCA said.
The officer received training in relation to searches to ensure future compliance with policy.
