Drug suspect assets to be seized on arrest, not charge - UK

[Evil GIR]

Drug suspect assets to be seized
Drugs
Some critics say the measures are unworkable
Suspected drug dealers' assets could be seized on arrest, rather than charge, under a new 10 year drug strategy.

The move is aimed at those who "buy 'bling', plasma screen TVs and other household goods" to avoid holding cash.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said suspects found to be "completely innocent" would get their goods back.

Addicts could also lose benefits unless they seek help from a "treatment adviser" but critics say the strategy is meaningless without more cash.

The government says it wants to build on its previous 10-year strategy, which it claims has reduced drug use to an 11-year low and drug-related crime by 20% in the past five years.

'Unacceptable'

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "We want to see fewer people start using drugs and for our society to be free from the problems caused by drugs.


We expect drug users themselves to take responsibility, and will help them to do so
Jacqui Smith
Home Secretary

"We want those who do use drugs to enter and finish treatment and move on to lead healthy, drug-free lives.

"We want communities to be free of drug-related crime and we want see tough enforcement of the law."

She said the government would continue to "send a clear message that drug use is unacceptable" but it would also continue to provide help for people trying to get off drugs.

And she said there would be more emphasis on helping families hit by addiction.

"We expect drug users themselves to take responsibility, and will help them to do so," she added.

Other proposals in the strategy include:

*
Grandparents will be encouraged to look after children whose parents are addicts

*
Social workers will intervene earlier when children are growing up around problem users

*
Schools will be rated by Ofsted inspectors on the effectiveness of anti-drugs lessons

*
New deals will be sought with foreign governments to reduce trafficking

*
Women and ethnic minorities will have better access to drug treatment

Critics have said the plans are meaningless without more money to support families affected by drug addiction.

Deborah Cameron, of drugs charity Addaction, said: "We know of 10,000 children, just through Addaction, who are living with Class A drug users.

"There has got to be properly funded family support services."

The strategy includes plans to extend police powers to seize dealers' cash and assets on arrest, rather than conviction.

It says: "Those who buy 'bling', plasma screen TVs and other household goods, to avoid circulating cash, will have their assets seized before they have a chance to disperse them".

Click here for a table of drug use estimates

Previous efforts to confiscate the assets of drug dealers and other criminals have met with mixed results.

The Assets Recovery Agency, set up in 2002, was criticised by the Commons public accounts committee last year for being "ill planned" and "unrealistic" after it spent £65m over four years to recover just £23m.

The new strategy will widen what can be seized and scrap the 12-year limit within which recovery proceedings must be taken.

The government aims to recover £250m a year from criminals by 2010.

The Conservatives and civil liberties groups have questioned the legality of confiscating goods before convictions.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7266109.stm



fuckers, so if you use drugs have a decent job as well as STEALING YOUR FUCKING COMPUTER FOR A YEAR though pig fuckers are gona steal everything else even if you are not a dealer or if they have no proof.

Basicaly when caught they automaticly try and do you for dealing, especialy if you have more than a couple doses or what ever.

Fuck this goverment and there bullshit ideas, SWIM WILL NEVER BE FORCED TO STOP DOING DRUGS.
If SwIM ever do stop it will be down to my own decesion.

[FuBai]

EDIT: no longer relevant

[Evil GIR]

sorry i forgot

[MrG]

Understandable.

God I hate that ignorant bitch.