SDLP call for all-Ireland Criminal Assets Bureau

The SDLP has called for the creation of an all-Ireland Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) following a meeting with the Northern Ireland-based Assets Recovery Agency (ARA).

Launching a six-point-plan for the seizure of criminal assets, SDLP representatives Alex Attwood and Carmel Hanna said the current agency did not have the powers, resources and procedures to match the success of their southern counterparts.

Mrs Hanna said: "The Government must put its money where its mouth is and give the ARA staff and resources matching those of the CAB in the south.

"At the moment they can only take on cases where the PSNI cannot get prosecutions. We believe that the ARA must be free to set its own agenda instead of accepting hand me downs from the police."

Mr Attwood added: "We believe that the ARA must be free to set its own agenda instead of accepting hand me downs from the police. It should also be possible for the ARA and the police to act together in a pincer movement against criminals. For example, CAB was able to put pressure on Dublin Crime boss John Gilligan. This caused him to make mistakes, which then lead to his prosecution. It would be much harder for the ARA to do this in Northern Ireland."

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