crime

Property seizures increase

The Ministerio Público is looking to streamline the process of handling property seized by officers during arrests for crimes such as money laundering and drug offenses.

Currently the government has 1,500 vehicles in its possession that are being stored at four sites. Since 2002, authorities have seized 85 properties, including houses and boats.

The government spends a great deal of money and resources storing and caring for the seized items, some of which have to be preserved for use as evidence.

However, a proposal has been submitted that would allow the Ministerio Público to sell confiscated property that is not evidentiary in nature and keep the proceeds in a bank account. The money could then be returned to the defendant if a judge issues a ruling to that effect.

The law, which was proposed last year and which is going through final changes, also expands the number of offenses in which property may be confiscated to include corruption, theft of intellectual property and financial crimes.

Maribel Vergara, director of the Centro de Custodia de Bienes y Fondos Cautelados de la Procuraduría de la Nación, said the agency's resources are stretched to the limit.

The law means that the proceeds from criminal activities can be used for crime-fighting measures. For example, a judge last week ordered more than $1 million seized in a drug operation to be donated to a commission dedicated to studying drug abuse.