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Criminal Assets Management and Enforcement Regulators Association (CAMERA) formed
The newly formed Criminal Assets Management and Enforcement Regulators Association (CAMERA) will assist litigators, criminal asset managers and confiscation enforcement agencies from around the world establish and maximise the use of criminal asset confiscation as an effective crime fighting tool.
“The effective, efficient and low risk approach to criminal asset management and confiscation enforcement is vital to promoting and maintaining an asset forfeiture programme that will maximise the law enforcement effort and the financial return to jurisdictions from asset seizures” The executive of CAMERA announced after their inaugural meeting held in New Zealand recently.
“Confiscation of criminal assets and the proceeds of crime is a priority for reducing serious crime and the financing of terrorism in many countries. Preventing criminals from profiting from crime and living the high life from their ill-gotten gains is the primary objective of any asset confiscation programme. The task of seizing, managing and ultimately disposing of the assets identified from enforcement agency investigations is a key part of the process”.
Asset confiscation through proceeds of crime legislation has taken on a new lease of life over the past few years, principally on the back of anti money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism initiatives. Non-conviction based processes have been introduced in a large number of countries to assist law enforcement in the freezing and seizing of assets and ultimately the recovery of proceeds of crime to the state.
The increase in activity has opened up new and burgeoning areas of activity for many government agencies, including the location, management and disposal of seized assets and the litigation resulting from asset seizure cases through the Courts. In some jurisdictions the proceeds of confiscated assets are used to finance further law enforcement initiatives and assist for example with drug rehabilitation programmes.
For these reasons, a group of experts from a number of countries including United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand met in New Zealand on 4-6 March 2009 to discuss these issues. The topics included:
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Proceeds of crime litigation and case management;
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Conviction based and non-conviction based criminal asset restraint, confiscation, management and enforcement;
From this meeting, the Criminal Assets Management and Enforcement Regulators Association (CAMERA) was formed and the inaugural meeting of the Association was held.
