St. Lucia police target ten suspected criminals for property confiscation

The island's police commissioner says ten people are being lined up for asset seizures after authorities concluded their wealth was obtained unlawfully, with multiple agencies joining the effort.

St. Lucia police target ten suspected criminals for property confiscation

The head of Saint Lucia's police force has revealed that authorities have marked ten people for the removal of possessions believed to have been bought with proceeds from wrongdoing.

Verne Garde, who serves as Commissioner of Police, said teams are now putting together the legal groundwork needed to strip these individuals of their holdings. He warned that the targeted people would forfeit assets accumulated through dishonest means. According to Garde, the names have already been recorded and the necessary files are being prepared, adding that the lifestyle funded by illicit earnings will not continue beyond this year.

This marks a change in how the force plans to tackle unlawful groups. Rather than concentrating only on putting suspects behind bars, officers are now seeking to drain the money that keeps such networks alive.

Garde indicated that surveillance on the suspects has been ongoing, and the time to move against their finances has come. He pointed out that the effort involves collaboration across numerous public bodies, including the Serious Investigations Agency, the Financial Intelligence Agency, and Customs, among roughly half a dozen others.

The commissioner's announcement echoes previous commitments that the police would trace the flow of cash as part of their wider strategy to suppress criminal activity across the island.

Source: St. Lucia Times

Source: Google News LC — Crime