Paramilitary Crime Taskforce

Officers from the Paramilitary Crime Taskforce have obtained a Property Freezing Order over a Newtownabbey property under the Proceeds of Crime Act. This is the first use of such powers by the Paramilitary Crime Task Force.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland, HM Revenue & Customs and the National Crime Agency have established the Paramilitary Crime Task Force to tackle criminality linked to paramilitarism as part of the Executive's action plan on Tackling Paramilitary Activity, Criminality, and Organised Crime.

NCA Branch Commander Billy Beattie said: “Civil recovery investigations will play an integral role in the work of the PCTF. These powers are a strong tool in preventing those engaged in criminal activity from benefiting financially or materially from it.”

The PSNI’s Head of Organised Crime, Detective Superintendent Bobby Singleton, added: “This shows the strength of the three agencies working together, and is the first of many such actions.”

1. On 11 January 2018, the High Court in Belfast granted an application for a Property Freezing Order (PFO) under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA), made by lawyers for the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF). The property frozen is subject to a civil recovery investigation and the Order prohibits anyone from dealing with or dissipating the value of the property while the investigation continues.

2. The PFO was granted at an ex parte hearing and anyone affected by the Order can seek to apply for its discharge or variation.

3. Civil Recovery proceedings under Part 5 of POCA 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 there having been 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.

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