DRUGS LAWS TO COPY US AND IRELAND

THE clampdown on criminals who live in luxury with no visible income is
being adapted from American tactics used to break the power of the Mafia.

It is an admission that previous efforts to seize criminals' assets have
failed. Only UKP5m was seized under the Drug Trafficking Offences Act last
year, but the drugs trade is estimated at UKP9.9 billion annually. Under
existing law, assets can be seized only after a conviction, and many
criminals transfer them to their families or associates.

In the US the 1970 Racketeer and Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act
has been credited with 23 Mafia convictions since 1981. It reversed the
burden of proof, so that suspects had to account for their assets.

Mr Straw has also examined similar legislation passed in the Republic of
Ireland in 1996 in the aftermath of the murder of the crime reporter
Veronica Guerin. There, the Criminal Assets Bureau, employing police
officers, revenue officials and social welfare officials, can seize the
proceeds of crime even where there has been no criminal conviction.

The owner must show that the property was not gained from crime. The police
and revenue have also been permitted to exchange information.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski