- · The CAB returned over €3.8m to the Exchequer in 2016 - including over €2.1m collected under Revenue legislation and €1.4m under Proceeds of Crime legislation
- · 13 new proceeds of crime proceedings before the High court
The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan, T.D., has today (Tuesday, July 18th) laid the Annual Report on the activities of the Criminal Assets Bureau for 2016 before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
This is the twenty-first Annual Report of the Bureau since its establishment in 1996.
The Minister said, “I am pleased to present the twenty-first Annual Report of the Criminal Assets Bureau and would like to thank and acknowledge Chief Bureau Officer Pat Clavin and his staff for their dedicated work in targeting the proceeds of crime generated from a range of criminal activities.”
“The Report highlights the activities undertaken by the Bureau during the year.”
“During 2016, the Bureau returned in excess of €3.8m to the Exchequer, including over €1.4m returned under Proceeds of Crime legislation, €2.1m collected under Revenue legislation and €0.297m recovered in Social Welfare overpayments.”
“In addition, the Bureau brought 13 new proceeds of crime proceedings before the High Court. Furthermore, taxes and interest demanded during the year was valued at €5.023m and social welfare savings amounted to €269,981.”
“The Report also highlights the work of the Bureau in contributing to the international response to targeting the proceeds of crime, as well as the ongoing capacity building efforts of the Bureau through the extension of the Assets Profiler Training Programme and the conclusion of the Asset Confiscation and Tracing Investigators Course in conjunction with the Garda College.”
The Minister continued said “I also want to acknowledge the significant profile the Bureau maintains at international level with law enforcement agencies and I note in the Chief Bureau Officer’s forwarding report that this cooperation has increased to the point where virtually every investigation currently underway has some international aspect to it.
We have seen with the enactment of the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2016 that the reach of the Bureau has extended in response to the increased organised crime threat. This Government is committed to fully supporting its work.”
Notes for Editors:
· The Annual Report is laid before the Houses pursuant to Section 21 of the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996.
· The Criminal Assets Bureau was established by Government in 1996. The Bureau’s remit is to target the assets, wherever situated, of persons which derive or are suspected to derive, directly or indirectly, from criminal conduct.
· The Bureau utilises the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime legislation as well as Revenue and Social Welfare legislation in targeting the proceeds of crime generated from a range of criminal activities.
· The Bureau is a statutory body with staff drawn from An Garda Síochána, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Justice and Equality. The current staffing level of the Bureau is 79.
· Asset profilers trained by the Bureau continue to provide a criminal asset profiling service in each Garda Division in relation to persons or suspects operating within their area, with particular reference to those involved in drug dealing and serious criminal activity.
· The number of trained Garda Asset Profilers stands at 288 plus 23 Revenue Customs and Social Protection trained assets profilers, making a total of 311 throughout the country.
· The Annual Report is available on the website of the Department of Justice and Equality (www.justice.ie).