The National Crime Agency (NCA) has secured the first Unexplained Wealth Order in Northern Ireland against a man suspected of involvement in serious organised crime.

The Order compels the man and his wife to explain the source of funds used to construct a property in County Armagh worth approximately £275,000.

It was obtained at the High Court in Belfast on Friday (17 May) as part of an ongoing NCA civil recovery investigation.                          

NCA investigators believe that the man, who is now resident in the Republic of Ireland, has connections to paramilitary activity, cigarette smuggling and money laundering.

This is the first Unexplained Wealth Order to have been obtained in Northern Ireland since the introduction of the provisions of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 which came into force in Northern Ireland in June 2021.

The Order followed a number of legal challenges in the High Court by the Defendant’s Senior Counsel, including an unsuccessful challenge to the legal standing of the NCA in Northern Ireland.

Suzanne Foster, Head of Asset Denial at the NCA, said: “This is a significant milestone in the fight against criminal finance in Northern Ireland.

“With the first Unexplained Wealth Order granted here, we continue to show that the NCA will use all the tools available to us to target those we believe are involved in serious crime, whoever and wherever they are.

“To get to this stage we have had to overcome significant legal challenges, and we can now continue to investigate the source of these funds.”

17 May 2024