Around £336,000 sterling (€486,000) worth of assets have been seized from a former associate of loyalist terror boss Jim Gray following a High Court order.
The Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) successfully secured an order to freeze the assets of Thomas Gary Matthews from Bangor, Co Down who it accused of profiting from drugs dealing, money laundering, intimidation, blackmail, false accounting, evasion of liability and revenue tax.
The agency alleged Mr Matthews along with the flamboyant Ulster Defence Association brigadier Jim Gray, who was shot dead in Belfast in October 2005, was involved in the supply of drugs during the late 1990s.
Charlie Dickin, ARA deputy director operations
The ARA claimed the proceeds were used to purchase the Avenue One and the Bunch of Grapes public houses in Belfast.
The ARA also alleged Mr Matthews was involved in extortion and blackmail. Assets in the possession of Mr Matthews and his estranged wife were seized, including property at Dixon Road, Bangor and 10 bank accounts.
The agency stressed it was not alleging his estranged wife was involved in criminality.
Charlie Dickin, ARA deputy director operations, said the case had been referred by the Police Service of Northern Ireland once the criminal process could no longer be pursued.
"We have moved quickly to take action to preserve the assets under a Property Freezing Order in order that we can progress the investigation using the agency's unique civil recovery powers," he said.
"It again demonstrates the value of civil recovery and also our continuing commitment, working alongside PSNI and our other OCTF partners, to making sure that those involved in unlawful activity do not benefit from their ill-gotten gains."