Court seizes £45,000 found in Dundee police raid

More than £45,000 has been seized from a Dundee man under proceeds of crime legislation.

Tayside Police discovered £45,798.45 at Stuart Johnston's home in the city following a raid on 13 January 2011. They also found controlled drugs and a large amount of jewellery and perfumes.

Johnston had claimed to be unemployed and was in receipt of state benefits.

Dundee Sheriff Court ruled the cash had been derived from the sale of drugs, illegal tobacco and stolen goods.

The Crown Office's Civil Recovery Unit (CRU) raised the action for the forfeiture of the money at Dundee Sheriff Court on the basis that it had been derived from unlawful conduct.

No appeal

The court granted the order on 7 September this year.

Johnston had been given a 30 day period in which to appeal the order, which he failed to do.

Ruaraidh Macniven, head of the CRU said: "A sum of cash has been forfeited for the public benefit instead of being available for those who commit crime in our communities.

"Thanks to excellent police work on the part of Tayside Police, the court had no hesitation in concluding that this cash was derived from crime.

"The Civil Recovery Unit will continue to use civil proceedings to disrupt crime and to make Scotland a hostile place for those who seek to benefit from unlawful activity."

The seized money will now be put into the Scottish government's CashBack for Communities Programme, which funds diversionary activities for young people in Scotland.

Since 2003, the Scottish government said it had invested £60m in the CashBack programme from money recovered from criminals.