Proceeds of crime legislation has been used to seize record amounts of cash from Scots criminals in the past year, including over £100,000 from a Tayside businessman convicted of allowing an old Angus church to be used as a cannabis farm.
Figures announced on Monday revealed that for the eighth year in succession the Civil Recovery Unit has increased the amount of money recovered in one year to over £9 million, with a further £16.5 million secured through confiscation orders against convicted drug dealers, money launderers and fraudsters.
The past 12 months have seen high-profile cases, including Weir Group fined £3 million and made the subject of a £13.9 million confiscation order after the engineering company admitted paying millions of pounds in ‘kickbacks’ in return for contracts from Saddam Hussein’s government.
Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland said the massive figures involved in cases such as that against the Weir Group had resulted in unprecedented recovery sums, but he also highlighted the major efforts being carried out in every corner of the country to disrupt criminal activity and divert proceeds of crime into community schemes.
The £25 million from the past year includes £106,000 confiscated from Taysider Calum Menzies one of four main targets of the Serious Organised Crime Division (SOCD) which works with the Civil Recovery Unit and other law enforcement agencies.
In 2009 48-year-old Menzies, from Perth, was given a community service order in connection with the discovery of a cannabis farm in Forfar’s disused St James’ Church.
Following a tip-off, police raided the boarded-up building and found a sophisticated cannabis cultivation of over 100 plants with a potential harvest value of £16,640.
Menzies later said he knew the church was being used to grow cannabis, but had not alerted police through a misguided sense of loyalty.
He admitted knowingly allowing the church to be used for the purpose of growing cannabis and by virtue of his conviction the court considered income and assets Menzies obtained in the six years prior to the date of the offence were the proceeds of crime. He was subsequently made the subject of a £106,000 confiscation order.Cocaine stashIn November £50,000-a-year company director Menzies was given a further period of community service after narrowly avoiding a jail sentence over a £550 cocaine stash which he claimed he had been keeping for his addict son.
Skip hire firm boss Menzies admitted being concerned in the supply of the class A drug at his home in the city, but escaped custody after a court was told prison would be “ultimately disastrous” for his family.
At the time of the conviction the court was alerted to the “significant” proceeds of crime order made against Menzies.
The record amount recovered by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Civil Recovery Unit in the past year brings the total secured since the commencement of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) in 2003 to nearly £60 million.
Mr Mulholland said, “Securing this record amount from those seeking to benefit from crime is a great achievement and a testament to all those involved in ensuring crime does not pay.”
He added, “There is no place in Scotland for those who would seek to finance their lifestyles through crime and we will continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to make our country an increasingly hostile place for them.”
Lindsey Miller, head of the SOCD, said, “This versatile legislation means that we have powerful and effective tools at our disposal.”
Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said, “The money will now be put to good use through our CashBack programme which supports a huge range of activities for young people.”