The Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter, T.D, has
today laid the Annual Report on the activities of the Criminal Assets
Bureau for 2011 before the Houses of the Oireachtas. This is the sixteenth
Annual Report of the Bureau since its establishment in 1996.
Commenting on the Report, the Minister said, “I am determined that
everything possible is done to ensure that assets derived from criminal
conduct are targeted and lawfully confiscated by the State. The Bureau’s
Annual Report for 2011 again highlights the effectiveness of a
co-ordinated, multi agency approach to targeting the proceeds of criminal
conduct. The work of the Bureau is one of the key law enforcement responses
to tackling crime and the Government is very much committed to further
strengthening the powers of the Bureau through forthcoming legislative
proposals.”
The Report details the activities undertaken by the Bureau against the
criminal assets of persons suspected of being involved in criminal conduct.
As highlighted in the Report, the Bureau disposed of a number of long
standing cases during the year and commenced a number of new actions
primarily related to drug trafficking. Action was also taken against
persons suspected of involvement in fraud, the illicit trade in fuel
laundering and cigarette smuggling. The Bureau also collected significant
monies under both Revenue and Social Welfare provisions.
During 2011 the Bureau obtained interim orders under Proceeds of Crime
legislation to the value of over €5.3m and interlocutory orders (final
restraint orders) to the value of over €7.1m. In addition, arising from
proceeds of crime actions a total of over €2.7m was returned during 2011
for the benefit of the Exchequer. Taxes and interest collected was
approximately €3.8m and social welfare savings amounted to over €616,500
with over €454,000 recovered.
The Minister stated “the Bureau’s efforts to enhance its effectiveness
through the development of the Divisional Assets Profiler Programme are to
be commended. The ongoing training and recruitment of asset profilers
provides a very valuable criminal asset profiling service to the Bureau and
there are now in the region of 200 asset profilers in place throughout the
jurisdiction.”
As outlined in the Report the Bureau continued to work in close cooperation
with law enforcement and judicial authorities throughout Europe and beyond.
Highlighting the need for close cooperation at international level, the
Minister commented “The Bureau is a very well developed model for the
confiscation of proceeds of crime. This is recognised not only in this
jurisdiction but also at international level where the experience of the
Bureau is much valued. I have therefore taken steps at EU level to
encourage my European colleagues to study the Bureau model and to consider
this model in the further development of the EU confiscation framework
allowing for mutual recognition of confiscation orders.”
The full report is being made available on www.justice.ie.
26 April 2013
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
The Annual Report is laid before the Houses pursuant to section 21 of the
Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996
In 2011, a total of 23 cases under the Proceeds of Crime Acts 1996 and 2005
were concluded together with 6 new proceedings brought before the High
Court.
During the course of 2011, the Bureau obtained interim orders to the value
of over €5.3m, £6,700 STG and Interlocutory Orders (final restraint orders)
to the value of over €7.1m, over £73,200 STG and almost $700,000USD
Arising from proceeds of crime actions a total of over €2.7m was forwarded
to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. In addition, taxes and
interest collected was approx €3.8m. Social welfare savings amounted to
over €616,500 with over €454,000 recovered.
Since its statutory inception in October 1996 up to 31 December 2011 the
Bureau;
- has obtained interim orders to the value of over €67m,
£18,783,372 STG and US$6,633,049 and Interlocutory Orders
(final restraint orders) to the value of over €45,726,091,
£3,080,498 STG and $6,077,710 USD;
- taxes and interest demanded was over €200 million, with almost
€137 million collected;
- made social welfare savings of almost €6million and recoveries
over €2 million.