Police take �630,000 from convicted criminals

CAMBRIDGESHIRE Police recovered �630,000 from criminals in the last financial year, they revealed this week.

Nearly 10 per cent of that – �60,000 – was recovered from a St Neots man sentenced to five years in jail for drug dealing. He faced an additional 18 months imprisonment if he failed to pay up within six months, and would still have owed the money on his release.

He has already settled.

A spokesman said officers had successfully targeted 104 criminals through confiscation orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act, amounting to �480,000, and �70,000 in drug forfeiture orders.

They also secured 10 cash forfeiture orders amounting to �83,000. Such seizures can be made by an officer who believes the cash is being made through illegal activity or is intended for use in illegal activity.

Officers also secured 24 restraint orders which prevent criminals from spending money or selling items or property, the force added.

Det Chief Insp Jim McCrorie said: “We will use all of the powers available to ensure those people who have made money from criminal activity pay it back.

“If offenders do not have the full amount they have profited at the time of the confiscation order, we will maintain records of what they owe and continue to apply for confiscation orders as soon as that money becomes available.”