Court freezes £1.5m assets of murdered drugs baron

Crimefighters in Northern Ireland have frozen more than £1.5m (€2.1m) worth of cash and property belonging to a murdered loyalist paramilitary boss, it emerged today.

Assets Recovery Agency chief Alan McQuillan has taken control of all bank accounts belonging to drugs baron Jim Johnston after being given permission by the High Court in Belfast.

The operation was seen as a major success for Mr McQuillan, the former police chief who has been under intense pressure to start stripping paramilitary extortionists and racketeers of their wealth.

One source close to his team said: “This is what he has anticipated all along.

“It’s just these things take time before they get to this stage.”

Johnston, 45, a top member of the Ulster Volunteer Force-linked Red Hand Commandos, was gunned down in May outside his £500,000 (€700,000) home in Crawfordsburn, Co Down.

The revenge killing was part of a bitter struggle between rival loyalist factions for control of the lucrative narcotics trade.

Mr McQuillan, who heads up the Northern Ireland branch of the agency, moved in after being granted an Interim Receiving Order.

The court action covered assets valued at more than £1.5m (€2.1m), an ARA spokeswoman confirmed.

“The Agency believes that it can later show to the court that these assets are the proceeds of unlawful conduct,” she added.

It is understood a number of homes and secret bank accounts were all targeted.

Mr McQuillan and his 15-strong team can now complete their probe into how Johnston accumulated his cash before formally applying for a recovery order.

A receiver has been appointed to take control of and manage the assets.

“If a Recovery Order is later granted then all or part of the assets will be forfeited,” the spokeswoman added.

The move against money and property belonging to Johnston is the second court action taken by the Agency in the first six months of its operation.

Mr McQuillan was Chief Constable Hugh Orde’s number two before quitting to head up the new anti-crime unit.

With the public sickened by loyalist and republican paramilitary godfathers flaunting their illegal wealth, he has pledged to travel the world in a bid to hunt down their bank accounts.

Even though many of the most notorious terrorists and gangsters are well known, Mr McQuillan endured heavy criticism for apparently failing to smash the criminals’ cash empires.

Harry Barnes, the Labour MP for North-East Derbyshire, UK, was due to quiz the British Secretary of State about the work of the agency during Northern Ireland Question Time in the Commons later today.

But Mr McQuillan’s action against Johnston was praised by politicians who have been demanding tougher action.

The former SDLP Assembly member Alban Maginness said: “It’s good to see ARA making progress and hopefully there will be further progress against drug dealers and criminals who are still alive.”

The north Belfast councillor feared, however, that many of the agency’s top targets could be out of reach.

“They have already run for cover. ARA’s difficulty is the new laws were well sign-posted and that has given criminals and paramilitaries a warning to put their house in order.”