Convicted crooks have been told to pay back more than £2.5 million this year after police successfully pursued their ‘dirty money.’
Our financial investigators have worked diligently to ensure jailed criminals cannot benefit from ill-gotten gains in the future.
This has seen us carry out extensive enquiries – even after they have been sentenced – to obtain 140 confiscation or forfeiture orders through the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) in 2023.
Police know criminals involved in offences such as drug dealing and fraud have potentially accrued significant sums of money from their illegal activities.
So officers pursue these court orders to show how crooks have benefitted from their crimes; which can be in terms of cash or investments such as property.
If they don’t pay up they receive extended prison sentences, although the debt never goes away and officers are able to recover what is owed in the future.
Detective Inspector Lauren Ades, from our economic crime unit (ECU), said: “Our department work tirelessly to ensure that offenders are not able to benefit financially from their criminal activity.
“We work alongside our colleagues dealing with the criminal prosecutions to secure as much evidence as possible to recover as much ‘dirty money’ as possible.
“The money recovered from these investigations is reinvested in government, CPS and the police to continue providing a service to the public and to invest in community projects.”
This includes compensating victims or helping communities under the Police & Crime Commissioner’s Active Citizen’s Fund.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said: “It is important that crime does not pay. That is why I welcome the work of the economic crime unit, who put that principle into practice.
“There is no better way to invest proceeds of crime, than back into the criminal justice system and the communities that have been victims of crime.
“In particular, my Helping Communities Fund supports community projects that contribute to crime prevention and reduction and community safety across the West Midlands.”