The Criminal Assets Bureau welcomes the publication of its Annual Report for 2021 by the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee.
This is the 26th Annual Report of the Criminal Assets Bureau. It marks the 25th Anniversary of the Bureau’s establishment and once again highlights the many ways in which the Bureau successfully carried out its remit to ‘deny and deprive’.
Between the years 1996 to 2021, €204 million was returned to the Exchequer. This covers €165 million in Revenue settlements, €6 million in Social Welfare recoupments and €33 million in proceeds of crime.
The Bureau illustrates its commitment to targeting organised criminal groups and individuals with almost €170 million in assets having been brought through the Courts in over 360 Proceeds of Crime cases.
In 2021, the Criminal Assets Bureau returned in excess of €5.5 million to the Exchequer. This comprised of €4.4 million in Revenue settlements, €0.364 million in Social Welfare recoveries and €1.14 million in proceeds of crime.
In excess of €5.4 million was returned by the Bureau to six injured parties who were victims of cryptocurrency theft involving SIM swapping fraud. The underlying operation was taken in conjunction with US Homeland Security and as such, is another positive example of international cooperation between the Bureau and its international law enforcement partners.
In his forwarding report, the Chief Bureau Officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Gubbins said:
“As 2021 marks the 25th Anniversary since the establishment of the Bureau, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the high level of professionalism, dedication and commitment demonstrated by all Bureau Officers and staff, both past and present.
The nature of their work is such that, in many instances, it cannot be publicly acknowledged due to the necessity for anonymity and security requirements.”
The Criminal Assets Bureau Annual Report 2021 is currently available on www.cab.ie in both English and Irish.