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Local authorities

Accredited financial investigators


Our accredited financial investigators (AFIs) use the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to help local authorities recover money obtained through crime. They are trained and accredited by the National Crime Agency and have additional investigative powers to trading standards officers.

We offer a free three-hour ‘scoping’ to assess a case to see if there is potential for a money laundering investigation, or if it is likely to meet the criteria to make a confiscation investigation viable. Contact our AFIs to find out how we can help you and to get a quote.

What we can do

Cash seizures

Our AFIs can seize and detain amounts believed to be £1,000 or more which have been obtained through unlawful conduct or are intended to be used in unlawful conduct. This is a civil procedure carried out at the magistrates’ court, with the overall aim to have the money forfeited. Our AFIs have carried out several cash seizures on behalf of local authorities.

Money laundering investigations

A number of criminal offences exist in relation to criminal property. Our AFIs have the power to obtain a number of investigative orders that allow them to ascertain whether a money laundering offence may have been committed. They can carry out money laundering investigations alongside other authorities’ criminal investigations.

Confiscation investigations

At the point of a successful criminal conviction, a civil confiscation investigation can be requested or ordered by a judge to seek to recover the proceeds of crime from the defendant from any assets they hold.

The recovered monies can then either be returned to victims for compensation or will be split between the courts service, prosecuting and investigating agencies and the Treasury.

Our AFIs can carry out complete confiscation investigations. Work to establish if a confiscation is viable can begin before a conviction is secured so contact us in plenty of time before court proceedings if you think we may be able to help.


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