The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) froze or seized assets and cash worth almost €4 million last year and collected almost €10 million in upaid taxes and interest, according to its annual report published today.
The bureau also demanded tax and interest worth more than €7 million and collected almost €10 million. It made social walfare savings of €109,654 and recovered fraudulently obtainened social welfare payments worth just under €200,000.
The report says CAB obtained interlocutory orders to the value of almost €900,000. This means the court gave permission for the bureau to take possession of cash and assets which it had previously frozen.
The High Court also granted interim orders to CAB to the value of more than €3 million. This means assets and cash have been frozen by the court. CAB will now prepare books of evidence against suspects and will return to the High Court seeking interlocutory, or final, orders.
In 2002, the CAB had its most successful year to date, taking more than €10 million and freezing assets and cash to the value of €34 million. The bureau also demanded taxes of almost €13 million from criminals and individuals on the fringes of organised crime. It collected €10 million in taxes during 2002.
Commenting on today's report, the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, said it illustrated "the continued success of the Bureau in the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime."
Mr McDowell pointed out that since its inception in October, 1996 up to 31 December, 2003 the Bureau had obtained interim and "final" restraint orders to the value of approximately, €51 million and €22 million, respectively.
In the same period, taxes and interest demanded were in excess of €76 million, with over €56 million collected. Regarding Social Welfare payments, savings amounted to over €1.5 million and recovery of overpayments amounted to €420,000, he said.
