Justice Secretary in plea for greater proceeds of crime powers
Proceeds of crime laws should be strengthened to make it tougher for criminals to avoid having their ill-gotten gains seized, according to Scotland's Justice Secretary.
Proceeds of crime laws should be strengthened to make it tougher for criminals to avoid having their ill-gotten gains seized, according to Scotland's Justice Secretary.
The Scottish Government says it wants the police to be able seize items of monetary value from criminals, such as high value betting slips and casino chips.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson has now written to the Home Office to put forward ideas for toughening up the legislation in an area which remains reserved to Westminster.
Scottish ministers insist the legislation has already achieved much but they believe more can be done to make sure criminals cannot stash their cash in ways that put them beyond the reach of the authorities.
Money seized through the Proceeds of Crime Act in Scotland is reinvested in the CashBack for Communities programme, which funds activities and programmes for young people.
Mr Matheson said: These stronger measures would see serious organised criminals hit harder in the pocket.
It will put an end to criminals trying to dodge cash seizures by putting it into high value items such as betting slips.
These changes have the potential to allow Scottish courts to seize more money from criminals and re-invest it back into local communities and fund facilities that stop young people getting involved in crime in the first place.''