The Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) is a Non-Ministerial Department based in London. The Director of the ARA reports to the British Home Secretary but is operationally independent. The Agency was established by the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 which sets out the ARA's powers. The ARA has been operational since 24 February 2003. The Agency's main offices are in London but there is also an office in Belfast. The Director consults with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on aspects of ARA's annual plan concerning the region. In Northern Ireland the ARA has recovered assets from members of paramilitary groups which the Agency believed had been amassed through criminal activity. The ARA has established partnerships with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and HM Customs and Excise. The ARA is also a member of the Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF). The ARA has also established a very close working relationship with the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) of An Garda Síochána in the Irish Republic. The two agencies have worked closely together on a number of cases which have a cross-border dimension.
Assets Recovery Agency Website