UK receives $10 million of confiscated Colombian drug money

Ten million dollars confiscated from a Colombian drugs baron will be used to tackle crime in the UK, Home Office Minister Caroline Flint said today, following a successful international US/UK drugs enforcement operation.

The money (£5.7 million) is the UK's half of a $20 million haul after a joint US/UK confiscation order stripped a Colombian drug trafficker who was at the heart of an international organised crime network investigated by the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the UK's National Crime Squad.

Code-named Operation Dian, the investigation also looked into the subsequent laundering of the proceeds via the Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE) in 2002.

Home Office Minister Caroline Flint said: "Organised crime is the scourge of our society. It affects each and every one of us, costing the UK at least £20 billion each year.

"I would like to congratulate the US Drug Enforcement Agency and the UK's National Crime Squad for their excellent work in seizing this substantial amount of money, which will be ploughed back into cracking even more crime gangs.

"The Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill, published last week, sets out a radical programme of reforms aimed at tackling those serious, organised criminals who devastate our communities through drugs, people smuggling and prostitution. This will include the setting up of a new agency, the Serious Organised Crime Agency, to tackle organised crime.

"On top of this, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 is already seeing criminals hit where it hurts - in their pockets - with a record £54.5 million seized last year."

Tony Placito head of the DEA in New York, said: "This investigation is indicative of the longstanding and close co-operation between the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the UK National Crime Squad.

"While drug money is often referred to as "dirty money", this is a perfect opportunity to clarify just what that means. These $10 Million, represent the profits derived at the expense of tens of thousands of individual drug users. These drug users have caused substantial damage to our communities, their families and themselves. This same money will now go back into the community, to combat those who would hope to benefit financially from the misery or others.

"Through a successful partnership between the DEA and the NCS, we will persevere in dismantling international drug trafficking organizations, imprison their members and seize their assets thus reducing the harm they can inflict on our two nations."

Trevor Pearce, Director General of the National Crime Squad said: "The $10 million presented to us today by our colleagues in the USA DEA is one of the largest amounts awarded to UK law enforcement. The National Crime Squad is very grateful to the DEA and we acknowledge that successes like this can only be built on the foundation of international partnerships.

"The money we have received today will enable the Government to reinvest in our continued attack on crime on all levels and those engaged in it.

"I hope this sends out a strong warning to those involved in this type of criminal activity; do not think that profit from your illicit crimes will be an investment for your future, the National Crime Squad is committed to tracking you down, dismantling your networks and recovering your proceeds. The message from us today is crime really does not pay."

(GB/MB)