Newtownabbey house and cash seized in paramilitary investigation

The NCA said the house and cash were seized through a court order under the Proceeds of Crime Act

A house in Newtownabbey, County Antrim has been seized by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in an investigation into alleged loyalist paramilitary crime.

The property, valued at £85,000, was seized alongside £28,000 in a bank account linked to a Newtownabbey man.

The NCA said it was seized over "alleged links to the West Belfast Ulster Defence Association".

An individual connected to the property is suspected of fraud and money laundering offences.

The seizure follows the granting of a civil recovery order under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Civil recovery orders allow UK authorities to seize property that has been acquired within the past 20 years as the result of breaking the law.

The NCA said the order was granted "by consent" at the High Court in Belfast on Monday.

'We will use every tool available'

The operation involved NCA officers working as part of the Paramilitary Crime Task Force.

In a statement, the NCA said it will "now work with partners to realise the value of the property and recover the funds held in the bank account under the terms of the order".

"This is another example of the NCA using its powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to take action against those suspected of involvement in paramilitary related crime," said NCA Operations Manager Stephen Brown.

"The message to those involved in paramilitary crime is clear - we will use every tool available to us. Where we can identify assets that are the proceeds of crime, we will do all we can to pursue them."

The Paramilitary Crime Task Force was set up in 2017 as part of a Stormont action plan to tackle criminality linked to paramilitary groups.

It is a joint initiative involving members of the NCA, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and HM Revenue & Customs.