KENNY MacAskill is urging UK ministers to change the law to prevent Scotland's drug dealers and criminal masterminds from hoarding their illicit wealth.
The justice secretary yesterday wrote to Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, calling on her to strengthen the powers of the Proceeds of Crime Act, which was passed in 2002 and has enabled Scottish courts to seize over £17.5 million in cash and assets
from "Mr Bigs" and other criminals.
While the legislation has provided police and prosecutors with a powerful weapon in the fight against serious organised crime, there have been growing concerns that laws are too weak.
Mr MacAskill has called on Ms Smith to extend the time period for confiscation and asset recovery. He also wants to see the minimum threshold for cash seizures lowered from £5,000 to £1,000, to enable the authorities to go after lower-level offenders who he said are "affiliated" to bigger organised crime networks.
He also wants a relaxation in the rules that currently limit courts to considering the lifestyle enjoyed by a criminal in a period up to six years before asset-recovery proceedings are started.
Speaking during a debate in the Scottish Parliament yesterday on serious organised crime, Mr MacAskill said: "We want to send a strong message to the criminal kingpins, their lieutenants and foot soldiers, that they will be caught and punished for their crimes."
A Home Office spokeswoman said ministers welcomed the Scottish Government's support for the strengthening of the Proceeds of Crime Act and plans were under way to review the law.
She said: "We will need to study the detail of the Scottish minister's letter before signing up to his proposed changes."
The full article contains 289 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
