€89m in taxes and interest collected by by CAB since 1996
The Criminal Assets Bureau took over €16m from criminals and froze property worth €7.3m last year, a report revealed today.
Since its creation in 1996 up to last year, CAB obtained interim and final restraint orders to stop criminals disposing of property worth over €83m, and collected almost €89m in taxes and interest.
CAB detectives have also worked on a number of international joint investigations to identify the assets of people involved in criminal activities across a number of states.
The annual report of the crime tackling unit revealed over €16m was collected in unpaid taxes and interest last year. Interim orders worth over €6m were made to stop criminals from dispensing of assets and final restraint orders freezing property amounting to €1.3m.
Around €216,000 was made in social welfare savings and over €294,000 was recovered from people defrauding the system.
CAB forwarded over €18.5m into state coffers last year.
“The report unequivocally demonstrates the success of the bureau in pursuing the assets of those involved in criminal activity,” Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said.
“The bureau is an integral element in the armoury of the state to ensure crime doesn’t pay and I commend the bureau on its achievements in 2005.
“I also commend the bureau on the international links it has forged as this will help ensure that proceeds of crime will be tracked down, regardless of location.”
Five houses and seven cars were sold in CAB receivership sales under court order. The houses included the substantial Dublin property, formerly in the possession of the late Martin Cahill, known as ’The General’, and a property in Limerick taken from a figure engaged in criminal activity.
In the report, Noel Conroy, Garda Commissioner, said: “During 2005, the Criminal Assets Bureau, representing Ireland, held the Presidency of the Camden Assets Recovery Inter-Agency Network (CARIN). This is an informal international network of law enforcement and judicial agencies engaged in asset recovery which aims to improve the effectiveness of cross-border co-operation in this area.
“The bureau in accordance with its statutory remit also assisted in investigations being carried out arising from the Northern Bank robbery in Belfast in December 2004.”
Five additional gardaí worked with the bureau on a temporary basis last year to assist in investigations following the €31.5m Northern Bank robbery.
The report said considerable resources were allocated to gardai in carrying out investigations following the major robbery and the subsequent seizures of large sums of money in the Republic.
The bureau continued to target assets of people and groups involved in cross-border criminal activity. This was carried out in consultation with other agencies including the Assets Recovery Agency based in Belfast and London, the PSNI, Revenue Commissioners and gardaí.
Under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996, the bureau can apply to the High Court for an interim order stopping people selling-off property which can be shown to be the proceeds of crime.
If this is granted within 21 days an application must be made to the High Court for a final restraint order freezing the property for a period of seven years.
