Forfeiture order awarded in favour of the Police Service of Northern Ireland as part of investigation into illegal activities of West Belfast UDA.

At a hearing at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 7th November, a forfeiture of £20,099 was awarded in favour of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The investigation was led by the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Economic Crime Unit and linked to the on-going Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF) investigation into the suspected drugs-related criminality, money laundering and illegal money lending of the West Belfast UDA.

Detective Inspector Michael Maguire said: “This forfeiture, of over £20,000, highlights our on-going commitment to pursuing proceeds of crime generated from the criminal activities of paramilitary groupings, sending a clear message that crime doesn’t pay.

“The forfeiture has been made possible with the support of the local community.  

“I would appeal to the public to contact us, with any information or concerns, on 101.  With collective efforts, we will investigate those suspected of living criminally-funded lifestyles.  We will deprive criminals of their cash and use it for a better purpose.”

Civil Recovery proceedings under Part 5 of Proceeds of Crime Act provide for the recovery of property which has been acquired through unlawful conduct and therefore is, or represents the proceeds of crime. Unlike criminal confiscation, civil recovery is not dependent on a criminal conviction and the proceedings are brought in the High Court in the form of a civil action. The civil recovery claim focuses on the property as opposed to the person and whether property is recoverable or not is determined by the High Court on the civil standard of proof namely, the balance of probabilities. 

Paramilitary activities are targeted through the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF), which is a multi-agency task force consisting of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the National Crime Agency and HM Revenue & Customs.  Set up in 2017 with funding from the Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime, this is a partnership that allows the sharing of resources, capacity and capability with a focus on disrupting paramilitary crime groups and making our communities safer.