Assets Recovery Agency: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:43, 10 December 2006

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The '''Assets Recovery Agency''' ('''ARA''') was established in the [[United Kingdom]] under the [[Proceeds of Crime Act 2002]]. toThe reduceDirector crimemust bycarry confiscatingout theher proceedsstatutory of crime,functions includingwith a newview power of [[civil recovery]] throughto the [[High Courtreduction of Justice|High Court]]crime. These Previously,functions onlymay profitsbe fromcategorised certaininto crimes,four suchtypes as [[drug trafficking]], were liable to confiscation. The ARA can also take over the powers of the [[HM Revenue and Customs]] to levy [[tax]] without identifying a source for taxed income.:

(a) the bringing of confiscation proceedings;

(b) the bringing of civil recovery proceedings;

(c) the taxation of incomes or gains which are suspected of being derived from criminal activities;

(d) the control and supervision of the training of financial investigators in the United Kingdom.

The powers of the ARA are mostly limited to [[England and Wales]] and [[Northern Ireland]], although its taxation powers extend to [[Scotland]]. In [[Scotland]] civil recovery is achieved through the Civil Recovery Unit of the [[Scottish Executive]]. It is a non-Ministerial Department (meaning it answers to Parliament directly rather than to a Minister) and became operational in February 2003. It has offices in [[London]] and [[Belfast]]; its first Director is [[Jane Earl]].