CRIMINALS operating across the Humberside policing area are being shown crime really does not pay with record levels of confiscation orders over the last year.

Court orders worth more than £2.7 million, including almost £500,000 in cash forfeiture orders, were issued against criminals during the last 12 months under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).

Across the Humberside force, which includes East Yorkshire, nine of the individual confiscation orders amounted to more than £50,000 each, hitting criminals where it hurts – in their pockets.

The latest figures show Humberside to be among the top ten forces in the UK in terms of amounts recovered from criminals which Detective Inspector Paul Welton, of the force’s Economic Crime Unit, said is a huge improvement on figures only five years ago when the force was one of the lowest recorded forces for assets recovered.

He said: “We look at every case where someone has benefited from crime and if we think there is a way we can get that money back we will try to do so.

“We now make much better use of intelligence to actively pursue these criminals who are living above their means.

“We have seen some fantastic results over the last few years and intend for this to continue.”

Under the Proceeds of Crime Act police are able to identify people who have benefited from their criminal activity and through the courts make confiscation orders enabling them to seize money and strip them of other illegally obtained assets.

Across the force in the financial year 2010 to 2011, a total of 82 confiscation orders were made via POCA, nine of which amounted to more than £50,000 and the total value of the confiscation orders totted up to £2,287,860.