Minister Shatter publishes the Criminal Assets Bureau Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2012

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Mr Alan Shatter TD, has today laid the Annual Report on the activities of the Criminal Assets Bureau for 2012 before the Houses of the Oireachtas. This is the seventeenth Annual Report of the Bureau since its establishment in 1996.

Commenting on the Report, the Minister said, “Again we see the considerable powers of the Criminal Assets Bureau being brought to bear on those who seek to live off the ill-gotten gains of criminal activity. Arising from actions taken by the Bureau across the jurisdiction and abroad in excess of €7.2 million was returned to the Exchequer in 2012.

‘The Annual Report provides an insight into the workings of the Bureau and highlights the advantage of adopting a multi-agency and multi-disciplinary approach to the targeting of illicit assets. The Bureau is an essential component in the State’s law enforcement response to serious and organised crime and the Government is fully committed to further strengthening its powers through future legislative reform.’

The Report outlines the activities of the Bureau during the course of 2012, in the pursuit of its statutory remit, detailing actions brought by the Bureau under the proceeds of crime, revenue and social welfare legislation.

During the year, fifteen new proceedings were brought before the High Court under the Proceeds of Crime legislation. As in previous years, the majority of the actions taken arise from the proceeds of drug trafficking. In addition, actions were taken against persons suspected of involvement in other forms of criminal conduct, notably fraud offences.

The geographical breakdown of the Bureau’s actions during the year includes both urban and more rural areas across the jurisdiction.

During 2012, the Bureau returned in total more than €7.2 million to the Exchequer. This total is broken down as follows –

· in excess of €4.8 million returned under Proceeds of Crime legislation
· over €1.9 million returned using appropriate Revenue provisions
· €393,797 recovered under Social Welfare provisions.

The Minister further commented “I also wish to acknowledge and commend the Bureau for its work at international level where, as outlined in the Report, it continues to liaise and conduct investigations with law enforcement and judicial authorities throughout Europe and worldwide in pursuit of assets deriving from criminal conduct. The commitment of the Bureau in this regard is notable and significant. I saw this at first hand when I attended the international Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Camden Assets Recovery Inter-Agency which was hosted by the Bureau in Ireland during the Irish Presidency last year.’

Copies of the Annual Report are made available in the Oireachtas Library and on the websites of An Garda Síochána (www.garda.ie) and the Department of Justice and Equality (www.justice.ie).