£300,000 assets frozen in anti-smuggling operation
Luxury homes and cars have been seized in an offensive against a family running an alleged international smuggling operation, it emerged today.
More than £300,000 (€434,731) was frozen by the British Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) as it took control of four businesses, one based in the Canary Islands.
Investigators secured High Court Orders in Belfast to move against three business people based in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, who are also suspected of selling counterfeit goods, cigarette fraud and illegally importing fireworks from China.
The Agency’s Northern Ireland boss, former police chief Alan McQuillan, said organised crime links were being examined.
He said: “In this case it’s part of our case to the High Court that there are business links from these individuals to China and to Egypt and to other places in the rest of the UK.
“It just shows that this isn’t just crime issues that happen within Northern Ireland. There is an international dimension as well.”
A receiver appointed after premises in Carrickfergus were searched yesterday took control of an apartment and house in the area.
Three Northern Ireland-registered companies, as well as companies in Leeds and the Canary Islands were also frozen.
Three top of the range BMW cars were taken away.
The latest ARA operation comes weeks after more than £1m (€1.45m) in cash and property belonging to a murdered loyalist paramilitary boss was seized.
With Mr McQuillan under pressure to produce results, the agency was granted the first civil recovery order of its kind in the UK to take over the estate of Jim Johnston.
Johnston, 45, a top member of the outlawed Red Hand Commando, was shot dead at his home in Crawfordsburn, Co Down, in May 2003 during a bitter terrorist feud.
Although Mr McQuillan did not believe paramilitaries were running the latest crime operation, he confirmed the suspects named in court papers were associated with top loyalists.
He also reckoned that the value of the seizures could rise considerably.
“We have said those assets have a minimum value of £320,000 (€463,620). That relates solely to property in Northern Ireland,” the ARA chief said.
“We haven’t put any value on the companies and we haven’t put any value on other properties and interests in Spain.”
Mr McQuillan added: “It’s not part of our case for the High Court that this activity has been carried out on behalf of any paramilitary organisation.
“But it’s also fair to say that some of the individuals involved do have personal and perhaps business links to some senior loyalists.”
