Goggins Announces Latest Recovery Successes
Over £13.18m of criminal assets has been disrupted, seized, recovered or settled during the third quarter of this financial year by partners of the Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF).
Paul Goggins MP, Chair of the OCTF, today announced the latest success in the fight against organised crime at a press conference in Belfast on a shared platform with Vernon Coaker MP, Home Office Under-Secretary of State for Crime Reduction and Bill Hughes, Director General of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).
Included in the figure, for the period from October to December 2007 are PSNI and HM Revenue and Customs cash seizures of £1.07m, with a further £6.58m in Restraint Orders, £3.39m in Confiscation Orders and over £4,600 in cash forfeiture orders. Asset Recovery Agency figures for the same period amount to £1.27m disrupted assets and recoveries and settlements of over £850,000.
Total criminal assets in excess of £24m has been disrupted, seized, recovered or settled during the first nine months of this financial year by OCTF partners under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Paul Goggins said: “These excellent figures are the result of dedicated and committed work by the partnership agencies of the OCTF and should be seen as firm evidence of the continued commitment of our law enforcement agencies in the fight against organised crime in Northern Ireland.”
With SOCA and the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) to merge at the beginning of April, Paul Goggins paid tribute to the success of ARA in Northern Ireland.
To December during the current financial, ARA in Northern Ireland has disrupted assets of over £5.6m and achieved Recovery Orders and Settlement of £2.9m.
Paul Goggins said: “The expertise and the unique experience that ARA staff will bring to SOCA will be of enormous benefit. The aim of the merger is to further strengthen our fight against those who engage in organised crime.
“Our work to recover the illegal assets of criminals in Northern Irelandwill continue to be given the highest priority by all partners in the Organised Crime Task Force".
Vernon Coaker, who is expected to accompany Paul Goggins on a visit to ARA’s office in Belfastlater today, announced the appointment of Phil Aiken, a former PSNI Detective Chief Superintendent who led the Organised Crime Branch, as the lead officer for SOCA’s Proceeds of Crime Team inBelfast.
Notes To Editors
In the last quarter of this financial year (October – December 2007)
PSNI and HMRC have:
Seized in cash £1,070,162;
Obtained cash forfeiture orders amounting to £4,627.57;
Obtained Confiscation orders amounting to £3,399,042; and
Obtained Restraint Orders to the value of £6,583,593.85
The Assets Recovery Agency has:
Disrupted assets of £1,274,488; and
Achieved Recovery Orders/Settlements to the value of £854,120
In the first nine months of this financial year (April – December 2007)
PSNI and HMRC have:
Obtained cash forfeiture orders amounting to £189,335.57;
Obtained Confiscation orders amounting to £3,706,836; and
Obtained Restraint Orders to the value of £9,860,292.85
The Assets Recovery Agency has:
Disrupted assets of £5,639,988; and
Achieved Recovery Orders/Settlements to the value of £2,977,225
All orders and recoveries were made under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
