RCMP Chief Supt. Will Ng speaks at a news conference as seized fentanyl pills are displayed in Surrey, B.C., in March 2023. Years of civil forfeiture regulations do not appear to be resulting in any meaningful abatement in organized crime, particularly in the illicit drug trade. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The Conversation: Are governments using proceeds from crime to raise public funds?
As written in The Conversation by M. Michelle Gallant, Professor, Faculty of Law University of Manitoba
Civil forfeiture regimes that allow governments to seize citizens’ assets, along with unexplained wealth orders — a type of court order that requires people to explain to a judge how they acquired funds — are often described as essential weapons in the battle against money laundering and profitable criminal activity, most notably illegal drug trafficking.
British Columbia’s 2023 embrace of unexplained wealth orders was accompanied by several references to cracking down on organized crime.
Research at the University of Manitoba is partially supported by funding from the Government of Canada Research Support Fund.