Retention and disposal or return of items Section 32: Return of item to person entitled to it, or disposal if return impracticable
Where the retention of a seized item is no longer authorised under the Act, this section provides for the return of the item to the person entitled to it. Subsection (1)(b) provides that a person entitled to the item may make an application to the appropriate court (as defined in section 29(8)) for a seized item to be returned. In any case where it has proved impossible to find the owner, or it is impractical for some reason to return the item (for example, because the owner refuses to accept receipt), subsection (3) allows for the item to be disposed of by a police or customs officer or the Secretary of State.