Specialist Crime

Operation Payback

Who's involved?

Operation Payback started as a Metropolitan Police initiative to target London’s criminals through seizing their finances. Payback aims to mainstream the use of powers under Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) to ensure crime does not pay on any borough in the MPS. Inspired by the Specialist Crime Directorate, it is now a national term for asset recovery and anti-money laundering activity by law enforcement agencies, the Courts and some government departments. Tackling acquisitive crime is vital for the MPS. Every operational officer regularly deals with criminals trying to make money from crime. There are nearly 500 MPS officers and staff with specialist knowledge advice based in the Economic and Specialist Crime Command and across every Operational Command Unit. Dedicated Payback units include the Financial Investigation Units on most boroughs, Money Laundering Investigation Team and the London Region Asset Recovery Team (RART). The new POCA Implementation Team intends to co-ordinate and promote wider use of POCA powers in every part of London.

What is it?

Operation Payback co-ordinates the use of financial intelligence and powers under the POCA. The key provisions of cash seizure, money laundering offences and criminal lifestyle are powerful tools against both local borough dysfunctional role models and organised criminal networks.

The first phase of Operation Payback used a new power to seize cash. Where police find £1,000 or more in cash and suspect that it is the proceeds of crime or intended for criminal use, they can seize it, make enquiries and later invite a magistrate to forfeit the money to the state. No criminal conviction is required. In its first year (2003) the MPS seized an average of £20,000 in cash every day, by the end of the third year this figure rose to £31,000 a day.

Operation Payback promotes the use of POCA money laundering offences against handlers of stolen goods and others who support criminality by allowing their accounts to be used by offenders. By targeting people leading a criminal lifestyle (Section 75 of the POCA), the MPS intends to isolate dysfunctional role models, strip them of their assets and pay back spoiled communities through recycled criminal assets.

What are the drivers?

The government and senior officers realise that taking the cash out of crime deters future offenders, disables criminal enterprise, reassures the public and makes Britain a fairer place to live and work.

In a sophisticated society financial intelligence can identify, track and link local criminals. It is a cost effective way to investigate local crime. Criminals are vulnerable through financial information because it shows the truth, is held by third party institutions and is incontrovertible evidence of involvement.