Commonwealth Consolidated Acts Commonwealth Consolidated Acts(1) If a seized thing is no longer required for a purpose mentioned in Division 3 (us ing seized things), the person who has control of the thing must take reasonable steps to return the thing to:
(a) the owner of the thing; or
(b) a person who had possession or control of the thing immediately before it was seized .
(2) The thing must be returned within :
(a) 12 0 days after it is seized ; or
(b) that period as extended under section 88 .
(3) Subsections ( 1) and (2) do not apply if:
(a) the thing is required for the purposes of proceedings that have been instituted, or an appeal arising from such proceedings; or
(b) the thing has been disposed of under an Australian law ; or
(c ) the thing has been seized under another Australian law; or
(d ) notice of Commonwealth ownership of the thing has been given.