WIREDGOV

National Crime Agency officers working as part of the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF) have seized two properties with a combined value of £150,000 from a man with alleged links to the West Belfast Ulster Defence Association.

On Thursday 20 January 2022 the High Court in Belfast granted a Civil Recovery Order by consent under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 against Steven Raymond Kidd, 48, of west Belfast.

The NCA allege that both properties, which are located in the Greater Shankill area, were acquired by Kidd with the proceeds of money laundering and fraud offences. The NCA will now work with partners to realise the value of the properties.

In separate proceedings in November 2021, the NCA obtained a Cash Forfeiture Order under the Proceeds of Crime Act in respect of £2,500 which was seized during a search of Kidd’s home address in June 2020, and subsequently ruled to be proceeds of crime.

NCA Senior Manager Billy Beattie said:

“This is another example of the NCA using its civil recovery powers to take action against those suspected of involvement in paramilitary related crime.

“Working as part of the PCTF our specialist investigators identified assets which we said represented the proceeds of criminal conduct. In this case the court has granted us an order and we have been able to seize these properties.

“The message to those involved in paramilitary crime is clear – we will use every tool available to us. Where we can identify assets that are the proceeds of crime, we will ruthlessly pursue them.”

The NCA, Police Service of Northern Ireland and HM Revenue & Customs established the PCTF to tackle criminality linked to paramilitary activity as part of the Executive's action plan on Tackling Paramilitary Activity, Criminality, and Organised Crime.