New record in criminal asset seizure
More than £100 million in cash and property has been seized from some of Britain’s major criminals in the past two years, the Home Secretary has announced.
The £54.5 million seized in England and Wales in 2003/04 tops the record high of £47 million in 2002/03. The Government predicts that this figure will continue to rise, with £80 million recovered in 2004/05.
Speaking on the second anniversary of the implementation of the Proceeds of Crime Act, Charles Clarke said that on average £1 million is taken from criminals each week.
He also announced that from 2006 all agencies involved in recovery operations can keep half of the assets they seize to fund the ongoing fight against crime.
Agencies set to benefit include the police, Customs and Excise and the Crown Prosecution Service. The remaining 50 per cent will stay with the Home Office.
“Tough powers introduced in the Proceeds of Crime Act are really starting to bite, making it harder for criminals to hold on to the profits of their illegal activities, as law enforcement agencies strip criminals of their assets with escalating success,” Mr Clarke said.
“Organised crime affects all our communities, so confiscated cash is not only used to fund the fight against crime, but put back into our communities to help support victims and fund crime reduction projects.
“Each year the Home Office puts £7 million into community projects ranging from anti-gun crime initiatives to support for victims of sexual offences.”
Police forces can already retain one third of recovered cash above £40 million, meaning this year crime-fighting agencies will receive more than £13 million ‘cash back’ as a reward for their work in recovering criminal assets.
Attorney General Lord Goldsmith added: “Prosecutors are playing a key role in the response to the Proceeds of Crime Act. Since the Act was implemented, prosecutors’ skills on confiscation work have developed significantly, and prosecutors increasingly use the range of powerful tools available – restraint orders, robust prosecutions, confiscation orders.
“We must continue to hit criminals where it hurts most – in the pocket.”
