Taking the cash out of crime
£18.5 Million confiscated in the South East
Criminals beware; the South East confiscation centre of excellence in Dover is one of the most prolific in the country when it comes to asset recovery and removing the proceeds of crime. Last year £18.5 million was confiscated across the South East region, which covers ten counties including Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Thames Valley, Essex, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.
The Kent based HMCS centre completed regionalisation in April 2006 and in its first year collected approximately £6 million from the proceeds of crime. It is one of nine centres across England and Wales and is responsible for confiscation enforcement in Magistrates’ Courts.
Head of the Regional Confiscation Unit Jo-Ann Monaghan said: ‘Asset recovery has the potential to become one of the most powerful tools to disrupt criminals. It removes criminal role models, deconstructs criminal networks and is in the direct interest of justice.’
The South East Regional Confiscation Unit Team, from left to right, Paula Barr, Jacquey Gledhill, Jo-Ann Monaghan, Suzanne Barnes, Rachel Stafford, Lisa Daniels, Lora Bond and Chris Stockdale.
The process starts when a Police Financial Investigator is able to prove that a criminal has benefited from their crime. They work alongside the Crown Prosecution Service to build a case file and make a confiscation order in Court. The Unit is also involved with confiscations orders made by other large agencies. If that order is successful then it’s the responsibility of the confiscation team in Dover to make sure that the proceeds of crime are paid back working closely with other Criminal Justice agencies.
A confiscation order is for life
The Regional Unit Manager Jacquey Gledhill said it has proved to be an effective partnership system: ‘The confiscation centre has been a great example of agencies working together to take the cash out of crime. Criminals should not benefit from their activities and as part of the Justice System in the South East we have a responsibility to enforce the orders that are made.’
‘There is no escaping a confiscation order - it is for life. Once time-to-pay has expired, we have numerous enforcement methods at our disposal including imposing the terms of imprisonment in default. If the default sentence has been served and the debt remains outstanding, interest continues to accrue and other enforcement methods are taken to recover the outstanding amount. Any assets that are identified will be realised to satisfy the order. A further term of imprisonment can be imposed in respect of the continually accruing interest.’
Setting tough targets
This year’s aims for Kent have once again been made tough with the targets for confiscation orders enforced for 2008/09 being set at £6 million. That’s the fourth highest target in England and Wales with only West Yorkshire, the West Midlands and Greater London set higher. However, with agencies working together to combat crime then the confiscation unit in Dover hopes to continue to be a frontrunner when it comes to asset recovery in England and Wales.