Pubdate: Sun, 09 Apr 2006
Source: Sunday Herald, The (UK)
Copyright: 2006 Sunday Herald
Contact:  http://www.sundayherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/873
Author: Liam McDougall, Home Affairs Editor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)

DRUGS AGENCY CHIEF VOWS TO MAKE SCOTLAND UNPROFITABLE FOR CRIMINALS

A NEW national offensive to strip organised criminals of their  
illicit earnings is to be launched by the Scottish Drug Enforcement  
Agency (SDEA).

Graeme Pearson, the agency's director, revealed that he has  
instructed a four-month review of the SDEA's use of the Proceeds of  
Crime Act in an attempt to improve its effectiveness.

Giving his first major interview since the SDEA last week became part  
of the Serious Organised Crime Agency - dubbed the UK's FBI - Pearson  
said the group planned to up the ante on criminals by increasing its  
use of the act against not only the millionaire crime barons, but  
also the "toerag" drug dealers making life hell on Scotland's housing  
estates.

The act would also be deployed as a weapon to close down those behind  
newly emerging criminal markets in Scotland, such as people- 
trafficking and the international sex trade.

Pearson said: "I commenced a review of the Proceeds of Crime Act in  
February. We want to look at how it has operated, where we could make  
it better, how we streamline our use of it, what extra skills we need  
to make it more effective and how we can improve the way we activate  
the legislation."

He said that a working group would report next month.

Pearson revealed that, despite intelligence that criminals were  
buying up copies of the Proceeds of Crime Act from bookstores because  
they were so worried about its impact, the SDEA would use the  
review's findings to launch a fresh offensive against them.

"Proceeds of crime in people's minds is all about the millionaires,  
but we also need to show them that it's about the dealer at the top  
of the street," he added. "The public want the dealer at the top of  
the street, who's got the jewellery, the plasma telly, the fancy  
motor at the door and the holidays, tackled every bit as much as they  
want the millions taken off others.

"If we take even ?30,000 off these criminals on a regular basis, then  
ordinary kids growing up in that environment will much rather be  
successful footballers or stay on at school and do well than follow  
the example of this toerag.

"If we can get this right, I believe that the scheme dealer no longer  
becomes a role model for young people. What they'll see is someone  
who works hard at trying to generate a criminal activity and the  
authorities come along and take it all off them.

"Organised crime in my view is all about power and influence. If we  
can make sure they don't get access to wealth, there is actually no  
reason to be involved in organised crime.

"Prison is [currently] viewed as a tax. They'll do two or three years  
in jail and when they come out they still have the money and the nice  
house. But if not only do they get three years in jail, but when  
they've come out they have also lost a quarter of a million pounds,  
that has a huge impact."

Since its introduction in April 2003, the Proceeds of Crime Act has  
led to the seizure of assets worth hundreds of millions of pounds  
through confiscation orders. Last month, justice minister Cathy  
Jamieson announced that ?2 million of seized cash would pay for  
schemes aimed at reducing crime in Scottish communities.

Also last month, it was revealed that a 37-year-old man and 36-year- 
old woman arrested in Edinburgh on money-laundering charges faced the  
possible confiscation of UKP 1m under the legislation.

However, Pearson stressed that the SDEA would use the act to turn off  
international criminals from setting up business in Scotland.

"In terms of human trafficking, if you cut out the wealth that can be  
generated, you cut out the logic for delivering women here," he said.  
"My aim is that in two or three years' time, when the legislation  
really begins to bite and when organised crime groups look at  
Scotland, they'll see a cold patch on the map and go elsewhere."
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MAP posted-by: Jackl