Art.7. The prefectural secretaries and technical officers of the 2nd or 3rd rank having the charge of duties concerning narcotic control, who have been designated by the Minister of Welfare from among those recommended by the prefectural governor after consultation with the chief public procurator of the district court which exercises jurisdiction over the locality where the prefectural office is situated, shall be empowered to investigate the offences relating to narcotic.
The persons in charge of duties concerning narcotic control who conduct the investigation in accordance with the provisions mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall have the same power as judicial police officers in regard to the investigation and shall not be subject to the direction of public procurators regardless of the provisions of Paragraph 2 of Article 6 of the Public Procurator's Office Law and provisions of the Code of the Criminal Procedure, and shall be under the direction of the Minister of Welfare.
The persons in charge of duties concerning narcotic control who conduct the investigation in accordance with the provisions mentioned in Paragraph 1, may conduct the investigation also in other area than the prefecture to which they are assigned, notwithstanding the provisions of Article 252 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
In case the persons in charge of duties concerning narcotic control who conduct the investigation in accordance with the provisions mentioned in Paragraph 1 have conducted investigation, they shall quickly transfer the case to a public procurator as fixed by the Minister of Justice.
Those who are in charge of duties concerning narcotic control and conduct the investigation in accordance with the provisions mentioned in Paragraph 1, shall not exceed 200 in number throughout the country and the full number thereof for each prefecture shall be determined by the Minister of Welfare after his consulting with the Minister of Justice.