West Midlands Police strip crooks of £17 million
More than £17 million has been seized from crooks in the West Midlands in the past five years.
Financial investigators working in West Midlands Police’s economic crime unit have stripped a total of £17,026,411.54 from offenders since April 2012 under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).
Just over £9m was recovered from criminals including drug dealers and fraudsters following court convictions, while the best part of £8m was taken from suspects after they failed to prove they had acquired the seized cash legitimately. The force retained around £6.5m of the total with the Home Office, Crown Prosecution Service and courts also receiving a share.
And the millions retained by West Midlands Police is ploughed into the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Active Citizens Fund to be spent on crime prevention or community projects. Det Sgt Adam Keen said: “POCA is a really important police power – not just because it allows us to put much needed money into police projects, but because it sends out a strong message that crime doesn’t pay.
“Criminals may think they can ride out their time in jail and their ill-gotten gains will still be waiting for them upon their release. That is wrong, because securing a conviction is just the start for us and we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to ensure they cannot benefit from crime.
“We will always investigate people who have made money from crime.
“It’s hugely satisfying to seize their money or assets – including property, cars or valuables – and spend that money for the common good in communities.”
The five-year total is from 605 POCA confiscation orders – imposed by judges following criminal convictions – and 191 forfeiture orders after West Midlands Police applied to the courts to seize cash found in suspicious circumstances.
Between April 2016 and March 2017 the force recovered £1,963,352 under POCA, with another £733,579 still outstanding.
Any offenders refusing to pay up face extended spells behind bars.
But the debt is never cancelled – it hangs over the person until it’s repaid and officers can recover cash and assets from them at any stage in the future.
Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: “It sends a strong message that we are taking money off criminals and funding worthy causes through my Active Citizens Fund with the money.
“Using criminals’ ill-gotten-gains we will be spending their loot to make communities safer.”
