Police given powers to seize works of art and other assets from criminals

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Police have been given new powers to seize works of art and other assets from criminals

The Criminal Finances Act also allows officers to confiscate rare stamps, casino chips, gaming vouchers and betting slips.

And it will create Unexplained Wealth Orders forcing suspects to explain new-found riches.

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Criminals don’t just deal in cash, they move or hide their money in the form of expensive pieces of art, buying and selling valuable precious metal and stones or even purchasing rare stamps to mask their amassed wealth

Ben Wallace – Security Minister

Yesterday Security Minister Ben Wallace said: “Criminals don’t just deal in cash, they move or hide their money in the form of expensive pieces of art, buying and selling valuable precious metal and stones or even purchasing rare stamps to mask their amassed wealth.

“It is vital that law enforcement agencies can take these high-value, easily transportable assets from them so that they cannot use them to fund their criminal life. This sends a clear message to criminals that we will not stand by and watch them use the UK to launder their dirty money or fund terrorism.”

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Pablo Escobar bought paintings by Picasso and Salvador Dali

Gangsters have long used auction houses and private sales of art to launder their profits.

Colombian crime king Pablo Escobar bought paintings by Picasso and Salvador Dali.

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, the Mexican drug lord, amassed a multi-million pound art collection at his mansion.