godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
search; ransack
Rare slang term, often used for a police search of a home or premises. Conveys a rough, invasive searching action.
警察が家をがさったらしい。
It seems the police searched the house.
Standard formal term for searching, used in official contexts. がさる is slangy and implies a rough, invasive search.
General verb for looking for something. がさる is more specific to searching a place thoroughly, often with a negative connotation.
The origin is uncertain; possibly derived from the sound of rummaging or from a dialectal or slang formation.