‘The Untouchables’ get High Court freezing order on Newtownabbey home

‘THE Untouchables’ have dealt another blow to organised criminals living off  the back of  ‘dirty money’.

Officers from the Paramilitary Crime Taskforce obtained a Property Freezing Order over a Newtownabbey property under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

This is the first use of such powers by the Paramilitary Crime Task Force under the 2002 legislation.

The order was granted at the High Court in Belfast last week on Thursday, January 11 but details have only been released today.

The order relates to the property only and not any individual.

The property frozen is subject to a civil recovery investigation and the Order prohibits anyone from dealing with or dissipating the value of the property while the investigation continues. 

The PSNI, HM Revenue & Customs and the National Crime Agency have established the Paramilitary Crime Task Force to tackle criminality linked to paramilitarism as part of the Executive’s action plan on Tackling Paramilitary Activity, Criminality, and Organised Crime.

NCA Branch Commander Billy Beattie said: “Civil recovery investigations will play an integral role in the work of the PCTF. These powers are a strong tool in preventing those engaged in criminal activity from benefiting financially or materially from it.”

The PSNI’s Head of Organised Crime, Detective Superintendent Bobby Singleton, added:

“This shows the strength of the three agencies working together, and is the first of many such actions.”