Cab recovers €16 million in unpaid taxes in 2004

The Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) recovered more than €16 million in unpaid taxes and interest last year.

The agency issued demands for a further €5 million, its annual report for 2004 shows.

In the period since Cab was established in October 1996 to the end of last year, it has issued demands for taxes and interest in excess of €81.8 million. Of that figure, over €72.5 million has been collected. It has also obtained restraint orders to the value of over €52 million and €23 million.

Last year, €222,291 in social welfare payments was saved as a result of Cab's investigations. A further and €273,073 was recovered. Since 1996, a total of €1.7 million was saved and overpayments of €720,967 were recovered.

Cab has a staff of 48, including 29 gardaí; its budget of €5.675 million for last year was funded by the Oireachtas.

The bureau secured 37 orders against 53 defendants in the High Court last year to freeze or seize property ruled to have been the proceeds of crime. Eighty per cent of these orders were against drug dealers.

Fifteen receivership orders were secured against 24 people. Such orders allow the Cab to seize assets belonging to criminals.

The majority of orders were against cash, but a number of cars were seized and auctioned off. Cab realised a total of €1,028,092 (including £71,164) from these 24 individuals.

Minister for Justice Michael McDowell today paid tribute to Cab for it success in fighting drug trafficking, fraud, corruption and other criminal activity.

"The bureau will continue, with the full support of the Government, together with the support of the general public and commercial and financial institutions, to prevent those involved in serious crime from enjoying the proceeds of their illegal activity," he said.

The Minister added that Cab would maintain its links with the Assets Recovery Agency in both Belfast and London and other foreign agencies to identify and target the proceeds of crime.

CAB seizes control of assets and disposes of them under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996. Under this provision the bureau obtains a High Court order freezing cash in accounts or barring the sale of assets belonging to people which it claims are, or were, engaged in profit making crime.

After a seven-year period expires, any cash frozen is given to the State, and the proceeds of any assets frozen and sold can be passed to the State. Many of the disposals and transfers now under way relate to the very first actions by CAB against some of the country's most infamous crime bosses.

Most of the actions in the 2004 relate to CAB seizures made in 1997. CAB often serves tax demands against those who, while not convicted of any crime, find themselves unable to explain where they got their money.