Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

[F1 [F2 Seized personal property] S

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 131A-131D and cross-heading inserted (1.6.2015) by Policing and Crime Act 2009 (c. 26), ss. 59(2), 116(1); S.I. 2015/983, art. 2(2)(a)

F2 S. 131A cross-heading omitted (26.10.2023 for specified purposes) by virtue of Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(2)(b)(4)(a), Sch. 8 para. 34

131A Seized personal property S

(1) This section applies to moveable property which is held by a person and which—

(a) has been seized by an appropriate officer under a relevant seizure power, or

(b) has been produced to an appropriate officer in compliance with a production order under section 380.

(2) This section applies if the following conditions are satisfied—

(a) a confiscation order is made against the person by whom the property is held;

(b) an administrator has not been appointed under section 128 in relation to the property;

(c) any period allowed under section 116 for payment of the amount ordered to be paid under the confiscation order has ended.

(3) In such a case the sheriff may by order authorise an appropriate officer to realise the property.

(4) In this section “appropriate officer” and “relevant seizure power” have the same meaning as in section 120A.

[F3 131AA Destruction of seized cryptoassets S

(1) This section applies to cryptoassets which are held by a person and which have been seized by an appropriate officer under a relevant seizure power.

(2) The sheriff may by order authorise an appropriate officer to destroy the cryptoassets if—

(a) a confiscation order is made against the person by whom the cryptoassets are held,

(b) an administrator has not been appointed under section 128 in relation to the cryptoassets, and

(c) either—

(i) it is not reasonably practicable to realise the cryptoassets, or

(ii) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the realisation of the cryptoassets would be contrary to the public interest, having regard in particular to how likely it is that the entry of the cryptoassets into general circulation would facilitate criminal conduct by any person.

(3) An order under this section may be made—

(a) on the application of the prosecutor, or

(b) by the sheriff of the sheriff’s own accord.

(4) An order under this section—

(a) must set out the sheriff’s assessment of the market value of the cryptoassets to which it relates;

(b) may authorise the destruction of cryptoassets only to the extent that their market value, as set out in the order, is less than or equal to the amount remaining to be paid under the confiscation order.

(5) Before making an order under this section, the sheriff must give persons who hold interests in the cryptoassets a reasonable opportunity to make representations to it.

(6) If cryptoassets held by a person are destroyed following an order under this section, the person is to be treated as having paid, towards satisfaction of the confiscation order, an amount equal to the market value, as set out in the order, of the cryptoassets which have been destroyed.

(7) In this section “appropriate officer” and “relevant seizure power” have the same meaning as in section 120A.]

Textual Amendments

F3 S. 131AA inserted (26.10.2023 for specified purposes) by Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(2)(b)(4)(a), Sch. 8 para. 30

131B Costs of storage and realisation S

(1) This section applies if the sheriff makes an order under section 131A.

(2) The sheriff may determine an amount which may be recovered by the appropriate officer in respect of reasonable costs incurred in—

(a) storing or insuring the property since it was seized or produced as mentioned in subsection (1) of that section;

(b) realising the property.

(3) If the sheriff makes a determination under this section the appropriate officer is entitled to payment of the amount under section 131(5A).

(4) A determination under this section may be made on the same occasion as the section 131A order or on any later occasion; and more than one determination may be made in relation to any case.

(5) In this section “appropriate officer” has the same meaning as in section 120A.

131C Sections [F4 131A and] [F4 131ZB to] 131B: appeals S

(1) If a sheriff decides not to make an order under section [F5 131A] [F5 131A(3)], an appropriate officer may appeal to the Court of Session.

[F6 (1A) If a sheriff decides not to make an order under section 131ZB(3) or 131AA(2), the prosecutor may appeal to the Court of Session.]

(2) If a sheriff makes an order under section [F7 131A] [F7 131ZB(3), 131A(3) or 131AA(2)], a person affected by the order may appeal to the Court of Session.

(3) But the person mentioned in section [F8 131A(2)(a)] [F8 131ZB(2)(a), 131A(2)(a) or 131AA(2)(a) (as applicable)] may not appeal.

(4) An appropriate officer may appeal to the Court of Session against—

(a) a determination made by a sheriff under section 131B;

(b) a decision by a sheriff not to make a determination under that section.

(5) An appeal under this section must be made before the end of the period of 21 days starting with the day on which the decision or (as the case may be) the order was made.

(6) On an appeal under this section the Court of Session may—

(a) confirm, quash or vary the decision or (as the case may be) the order, or

(b) make such order as Court of Session believes is appropriate.

(7) In this section “appropriate officer” has the same meaning as in section 120A.

Textual Amendments

F4 Words in s. 131C heading substituted (26.10.2023 for specified purposes) by Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(2)(b)(4)(a), Sch. 8 para. 31(6)

F5 Word in s. 131C(1) substituted (26.10.2023 for specified purposes) by Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(2)(b)(4)(a), Sch. 8 para. 31(2)

F6 S. 131C(1A) inserted (26.10.2023 for specified purposes) by Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(2)(b)(4)(a), Sch. 8 para. 31(3)

F7 Words in s. 131C(2) substituted (26.10.2023 for specified purposes) by Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(2)(b)(4)(a), Sch. 8 para. 31(4)

F8 Words in s. 131C(3) substituted (26.10.2023 for specified purposes) by Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(2)(b)(4)(a), Sch. 8 para. 31(5)

131D Proceeds of realisation S

(1) This section applies to sums which—

(a) are in the hands of an appropriate officer, and

(b) are the proceeds of the realisation of property under section [F9 131ZB or] 131A.

(2) The sums must be applied as follows—

(a) first, they must be applied in payment of such expenses incurred by a person acting as an insolvency practitioner as are payable under this subsection by virtue of section 432;

(b) second, they must be applied in making any payments directed by the sheriff;

(c) third, they must be paid to the appropriate clerk of court on account of the amount payable under the confiscation order.

(3) If the amount payable under the confiscation order has been fully paid and any sums remain in the appropriate officer's hands, the appropriate officer must distribute them—

(a) among such persons who held (or hold) interests in the property represented by the proceeds as the sheriff directs, and

(b) in such proportions as the sheriff directs.

(4) Before making a direction under subsection (3) the sheriff must give persons who held (or hold) interests in the property a reasonable opportunity to make representations to the sheriff.

(5) In this section—

(a) “appropriate officer” has the same meaning as in section 120A;

(b) “appropriate clerk of court” means the sheriff clerk of the sheriff court responsible for enforcing the confiscation order under section 211 of the Procedure Act as applied by section 118(1).]

Textual Amendments

F9 Words in s. 131D(1)(b) inserted (26.10.2023 for specified purposes) by Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (c. 56), s. 219(2)(b)(4)(a), Sch. 8 para. 32