Detention of furniture being clandestinely removed

(1) Any police officer, in the presence and at the request, or under the direction, of a landlord or his agent, may stop and detain, until due inquiry can be made, all vehicles which he finds employed in removing furniture from any buildings belonging to that landlord, and in consequence of that request or direction he may take to the nearest police station all furniture being removed in any manner whenever the landlord or his agent alleges that rent is in arrear and that the removal is being made for the purpose of evading the payment thereof. (2) Every landlord or agent who causes any furniture to be detained or taken to a police station under subsection (1) of this section for any rent pretended to be in arrear and due in respect of the hiring of the building from which the said furniture is being removed where in truth no rent is in arrear shall be liable to pay as damages double the amount of the rent claimed.