Tony Gregory
Question:393 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the total moneys returned to the Exchequer in 2002 from the assets of drug dealers through action from the CAB. [29892/03]
Written Answers. - Criminal Assets Bureau.
The Criminal Assets Bureau enforces the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 which provides statutory procedures of restraint. The effect of restraint orders made by the High Court is to freeze property deemed to be the proceeds of crime for at least seven years. After that period, a disposal order may be sought from the court to vest the property in the Minister for Finance. It is only when the court directs that such property be transferred that funds accrue to the Exchequer. Having regard to the seven year safeguard period, the issue of such disposal orders has not arisen to date. Until these orders are made by the courts under section 4 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 it cannot be assumed that there will be a windfall for the Exchequer.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that in 2002 the Criminal Assets Bureau obtained interim and final restraint orders to the value of more than €34 million and €10 million, respectively. Since its statutory inception in October 1996 and up to December 2002, the bureau has obtained interim and final restraint orders to the value of more than €48 million and €21 million, respectively.
I am further informed by the Garda authorities that, while it is not the practice or policy to comment on particular operations carried out by the Criminal Assets Bureau and other national units, a total of 26 orders were obtained by CAB under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 in 2002 and approximately half the defendants in these cases were involved in drug trafficking. However, the majority of assets frozen to date under the Act did not derive from the activities of drug dealers.