Norfolk/Suffolk: Police Seize £16million From Criminals

12 April 2013, 06:00

Police in Norfolk and Suffolk have told Heart they've seized £16 million from criminals in the last 10 years.

It's a decade since the Proceeds of Crime Act was brought into use and officers have been showing Heart some of the things they've taken off offenders to make sure they don't get to keep the things they bought with money earned through crime.

Most of the things that are confiscated are cash, property, vehicles, jewellery or electrical goods. But, police have also taken away boats, horses and greyhounds.

The items are sold and the money is put back into policing.  Half of the money goes back to the Treasury.  The rest is split between the victim, courts and the police.

Detective Inspector Sean Coyne of the joint Financial Investigation Unit, said:

"The Proceeds of Crime Act is a very powerful tool which gives us the opportunity to target and tackle criminals, and make them pay for their crimes. 

"Over the last ten years Norfolk and Suffolk Police have used POCA to great effect and we want to highlight the work that is being done in both counties. As we move forward we will continue to target those individuals who cause the most harm in our communities, by stripping them of the profit they have made from their involvement in crime and reinforcing the message that crime does not pay."