"The Serious Crime Bill, currently before Parliament, includes measures to improve the seizure and confiscation of criminals' assets, including the merging of the Assets Recovery Agency with the Serious Organised Crime Agency. This will create a more effective law enforcement agency with a wider range of skills and expertise."
John Reid MP, Home Secretary, Asset Recovery Action Plan, May 2007
"Today's announcement is very bad news indeed for the criminal element in Northern Ireland, bringing together the Assets Recovery Agency, which has done a fantastic job in Northern Ireland, with the Serious Organised Crime Agency will give us an even stronger partnership in the fight against crime."
Paul Goggins MP, Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (commenting on the announcement of the Merger)
The purpose of this merger is to build on the successes ARA has secured and give additional momentum to the use of the civil recovery powers in POCA. The recent National Audit Office report into ARA identified some areas where the process for pursuing civil recovery claims could be improved, and action in this area is in hand.
But the report also recognised that ARA has defeated all legal challenges to the civil recovery provisions, and has established a healthy pipeline of cases. ARA has also exceeded targets on restrained assets and organisations disrupted, while in 2006-07 it exceeded its minimum targets for recovery. Not least through the Centre of Excellence, ARA has also played a vital role in raising the profile of asset recovery and the skills of the financial investigator community.
Asset Recovery Action Plan, Home Office, May 2007
We approach the forthcoming mergers with NPIA and SOCA with considerable optimism. We have always taken the view that the important aspect of our work is that the powers of civil recovery and taxation are proved to be successful so that they can be used more often in more places against more people's assets. We will be working hard with SOCA and NPIA to make the transition a success, and in particular to ensure that staff transfer into the new organisations smoothly and that our casework proceeds seamlessly."
Jane Earl, Director, Assets Recovery Agency Annual Report 2006/7