POLICE GIVEN POWER TO SEIZE CRIMINAL ASSETS

POLICE In The Thames Valley Have A New Weapon In Their Crime-Fighting
Arsenal.

The Proceeds of Crime Act, which came in to effect on February 24, gave
officers sweeping powers to confiscate assets earned from crime.

Detective Sergeant Andy King of Thames Valley's Financial Investigations
Unit said: "To many criminals, a spell in prison is seen as part of the job,
and when they get out they can still enjoy the fruits of their labour. But
now we can say that crime really doesn't pay."

The FIA investigates the assets of individuals convicted of a crime, mainly
drug dealers, and now has much greater powers to investigate any offence
and, when the criminal has been prosecuted, confiscate their assets.

DS King said: "It will make it easier to confiscate assets when someone can
be seen to have a criminal lifestyle - that is no apparent income to support
their outgoings."

He said that after conviction they can get a confiscation order and then go
through a civil rather than criminal prosecution. The advantage of this is
that the burden of the proof is lower, being the balance of probabilities
rather than in criminal cases where it is beyond a reasonable doubt.

The confiscated money goes to the recovered assets fund and can then be used
for community projects.