Over £20,000 in cash has been forfeited to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) following a Belfast Magistrates' Court decision linked to an ongoing Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF) investigation into the illegal activities, including money laundering and drug-related criminality, of the West Belfast UDA.

At a hearing at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Friday, 7 November, a forfeiture of £20,099 was awarded in favour of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

The investigation was led by the PSNI's Economic Crime Unit and is linked to an ongoing Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF) investigation into the suspected illegal activities of the West Belfast UDA, including: Drugs-related criminality; Money laundering; Illegal money lending. Detective Inspector Michael Maguire stated that the forfeiture "highlights our on-going commitment to pursuing proceeds of crime generated from the criminal activities of paramilitary groupings, sending a clear message that crime doesn't pay."

He also appealed to the public to contact the police with any information, assuring that the police will investigate those suspected of living criminally-funded lifestyles and "deprive criminals of their cash and use it for a better purpose".

The forfeiture was pursued through Civil Recovery proceedings under Part 5 of the Proceeds of Crime Act. Civil recovery focuses on property acquired through unlawful conduct and does not require a criminal conviction, operating on the civil standard of proof (balance of probabilities).

The PCTF, which targets paramilitary activities, is a multi-agency task force established in 2017, consisting of the PSNI, the National Crime Agency, and HM Revenue & Customs.