Recovering Criminal Assets
Who are we?
CARIN is an informal network of law enforcement and judicial practitioners in the field of asset tracing, freezing, seizure and confiscation. It is an inter-agency network. Each member state is represented by a law enforcement officer and a judicial expert (prosecutor, investigating judge, etc. depending on the legal system).
What is the purpose of CARIN?
The purpose of CARIN is to increase the effectiveness of its members' efforts, on a multi-agency basis, to deprive criminals of their illicit profits.
CARIN contacts support the complete asset recovery process, from the starting point of the investigation involving the tracing of assets, to freezing and seizure, management and finally the forfeiture/confiscation, including any necessary asset sharing between jurisdictions. The representatives of the member states are called “national contact points”. All of them are English speaking as the working language of the network is English. CARIN contacts may be contacted directly by phone or email.
How many jurisdictions are members?
CARIN currently has 54 registered member jurisdictions, including 27 EU Member States and nine international organisations. It is also linked to the other five regional asset recovery inter-agency networks (ARINs) across the globe.
Who can use CARIN?
You can request CARIN assistance if you are a law enforcement officer (police/customs/other law enforcement agency), a prosecutor, magistrate or judge, or an official from an Asset Recovery Office (ARO) or Asset Management Office (AMO).
What do CARIN members do?
IDENTIFY
CARIN works to identify the proceeds of crime wherever they are located in the world. Criminals try to hide their assets by bringing them across borders. By working together, law enforcement agencies identify these assets.
SECURE
When criminal assets are identified, CARIN contact points will take steps to ensure that the assets are preserved and secured. CARIN contact points may obtain a freezing order, take possession of the asset, or utilise another power available to it.
CONFISCATE
The final step is for the criminal asset to be confiscated following a final determination by a Court. The asset or the net proceeds from the disposal of the asset will then be transferred to the State or to a designated body.