NCA Snags First Ever Unexplained Wealth Order in Northern Ireland
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has landed its first Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) in Northern Ireland. The target? A man suspected of deep links to serious organised crime.
£275,000 Property Under Scrutiny
The court order forces the man and his wife to explain where the cash came from to build a £275,000 property in County Armagh. The High Court in Belfast granted the UWO on Friday, 17 May, as part of an ongoing civil recovery investigation.
Suspected Paramilitary Ties and Criminal Activity
Investigators believe the man, now living in the Republic of Ireland, has connections to paramilitary groups, cigarette smuggling, and money laundering. The NCA is cracking down hard on illicit funds flowing in from criminal networks.
Legal Battles Overcome in Crime Crackdown
This marks the very first UWO issued in Northern Ireland since the Criminal Finances Act 2017 took effect there in June 2021. The order came after the defendant’s legal team unsuccessfully challenged the NCA’s authority in the region.
“This is a significant milestone in the fight against criminal finance in Northern Ireland,” said Suzanne Foster, Head of Asset Denial at the NCA.
“With the first Unexplained Wealth Order granted here, we show the NCA will use all tools available to target serious criminals, whoever and wherever they are.
“Overcoming significant legal challenges to get here means we can now dig deeper into the source of these funds.”
