law enforcement
POCA reports record recoveries
Criminals are being shown that crime doesn’t pay as the Metropolitan Police Service reveals it has seized more than £73 million from convicted perpetrators during 2015-2016 - the largest total seized in London in a single year since the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) came into force back in 2002.
Each year, millions of pounds of assets are recovered from convicted criminals following financial investigations conducted by the Metropolitan Police Service’s Criminal Finance Teams using proceeds of crime legislation.
In the financial year 2015-2016, the Metropolitan Police Service issued orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 totalling £73.4 million. The largest single value cash seizure in 2015-2016 was £943,000 found when officers stopped a black cabin east London and investigated a large holdall in the passenger compartment which contained the funds.
The largest confiscation order made in May 2015 was to the value of £6,328,119.39. Criminality here related to the supply of Chip and PIN machines for central London brothels.
The main perpetrator created a number of sham companies purporting to offer events and function facilities to corporate clients. These companies were then used to obtain numerous Chip and PIN machines from various Merchant Services Providers by fraudulently misrepresenting their business intentions. The machines were then placed into several brothels in order to facilitate the payment for voice services and Class A drugs from paying customers.
Funds forfeited and confiscated by the Metropolitan Police Service are paid to the Home Office, although the Met receives a percentage back from the Home Office through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS). In 2015-2016, the Met received £8.89 million through ARIS.
The Metropolitan Police Service uses monies received from the ARIS income to fund and support financial investigation posts within the Met’s Business Groups, fund support financial investigation training across the Met and operate and support a number of different internal schemes to drive performance (including the Proceeds of Crime Act Funding Scheme, which is used to encourage Borough proactive policing in relation to acquisitive crime, generate further Proceeds of Crime Act opportunities and in assisting Boroughs and Specialist Units in targeting organised criminal groups, gangs and violence).
During Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe’s term as Commissioner since September 2011, the Met has seized or confiscated £317.14 million through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and received £40.16 million through ARIS.
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe QPM stated: “The Metropolitan Police Service is here to reduce crime and keep people safe. It’s satisfying to see criminals pay back for the damage they cause communities through the assets we’ve recovered. The message here is loud and clear. Crime doesn’t pay, and those criminals who think it does will have to deal with the full force of the Metropolitan Police Service.”
Police also have the powers to seize cash and goods on suspicion that it’s the proceeds of crime. Suspects must then show they were earned legitimately. Otherwise, they lose them.
