Jersey seizes over £4million from UK fraud case

Thursday 17 November 2016

The Island has seized more than £4million following a complex UK fraud case which the Attorney General says sends out a clear message that Jersey is, "...no place to hide proceeds of crime."

£4,180,788.32, plus interest is being paid into Jersey’s Criminal Offences Confiscation Fund after Adeel Mirza was sentenced to six years in prison back in August 2013 for numerous fraud offences.

Jersey's Law Officers' Department had been helping the Crown Prosecution Service for more than two years prior to his sentencing, gathering evidence here and initially seizing property held by a Jersey discretionary trust.

In September 2015, a Judge sitting at Southwark Crown Court made a Confiscation Order against Mr Mirza in the sum of £4,180,788.32. A year later, the Attorney General presented to the Royal Court an application to register and enforce this Order in Jersey.  Having overcome some complex trust law issues, that application was granted on 27 October 2016. 

The Attorney General, Robert MacRae QC, said: “This case demonstrates yet again Jersey’s commitment to fighting international crime and money-laundering. It sends a clear message that Jersey is not a jurisdiction in which to try and hide the proceeds of crime.”