18/07/2007

Financial Investigators target 'organised crime'.

The PSNI are planning a ‘major new offensive’ aimed at disrupting Northern Ireland’s multi-million pound crime industry.

A reinforced team will target criminals in Northern Ireland using over 60 specialist financial investigators covering all eight policing districts.

A PSNI spokesperson said the new investigators would “directly target criminals at all levels”.

A cheque for £100,000 will be shared amongst the eight districts and will be presented today by Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde.

The money will be used to fight the ‘scourge’ of organised crime and is part of the proceeds seized from criminals over recent years.

A total of £1.5m has been obtained during the 2006-07 period, which included proceeds from 14 confiscation orders.

Applications to the High Court to stop suspects selling off their assets can be made by the Financial Investigators and recently the PSNI Financial Investigation Units have obtained 27 restraint orders preventing suspects from selling off £11 million of goods that were gained through criminal activity.

Detective Superintendent Roy McComb, who heads the Economic Crime Bureau within the PSNI, said: “With a financial investigator now embedded in every policing district, organised criminals are being hunted right across the province”.

The unit have also invested in a number of specially trained “cash dogs” that have the ability to sniff out large amounts of illegal money.

Confiscated cash was used to invest in these specially trained animals.

(SB/SP)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

09 October 2007
Criminals Hit Hard In Their Wallets
Major crime looks like having been dealt a significant blow with news that the amount of criminal assets seized during the first half of this financial year already exceeds the total amount recovered during the whole of 2006/07.
27 October 2022
PSNI Seize Assets In Money Laundering Investigation
The PSNI's Organised Crime Branch has deployed an Account Freezing Order for the first, obtained under the Proceeds of Crime Act, to forfeit just under £7,000 worth of funds which they were satisfied represented the proceeds of crime in an investigation into Money Laundering offences.
07 February 2007
Over £200,000 of counterfeit goods seized in NI
The PSNI Crime Operations Department’s robust stance against organised criminals has helped net counterfeit goods worth over £200,000 throughout the month of January 2007. The Organised Crime Squad seized fake DVDs, CDs, computer games and cigarettes in various searches across Northern Ireland.
23 January 2003
Car crime victims' group lobbies Downing Street
A number of local political representatives and a west-Belfast based pressure group have met the Home Office minister in London today to urge the government to bring in tough measures against car criminals.
23 September 2024
New Rural Crime Awareness Campaign Launched
A new digital awareness campaign to support rural communities across Northern Ireland has been launched by the PSNI and the Rural Crime Partnership group to mark Rural Crime Week NI 2024 – Monday 23rd to Friday 27th September.