UK Recovers £345 Million in Criminal Assets as Asset Denial Reaches £1.1 Billion
The UK recovered £345.3 million in criminal assets in the financial year ending March 2026, while the value of assets restrained, seized or frozen under proceeds-of-crime powers reached £1.1 billion, according to new Home Office statistics published on 10 September 2026.
The official figures cover England and Wales and Northern Ireland and provide a six-year view of the use of powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Scotland is not included in the release.
Asset recovery rises 20%
Total proceeds of crime recovered through confiscation, forfeiture and civil recovery orders increased by 20% from the previous financial year to £345.3 million. The Home Office said the rise was driven mainly by stronger forfeiture and civil recovery performance.
Forfeiture order receipts rose 28% to £155.9 million, including £100.4 million recovered through bank account forfeitures. Civil recovery order receipts increased to £38.5 million from £7.5 million a year earlier, while confiscation order receipts fell slightly to £150.9 million.
Separately, £367.3 million in confiscation orders was imposed during the year, the highest annual value recorded in the six-year reporting period. Confiscation orders imposed are not included in the asset-denial total because they do not themselves restrain or freeze assets.
£1.1 billion denied to suspected criminal activity
The value of assets denied through restraint and forfeiture powers increased by 30% to £1.1 billion. Restraint orders accounted for £677.0 million, up 37% from the previous year, while £376.4 million was seized or frozen under forfeiture powers.
Account freezing orders represented 74% of the value seized or frozen under forfeiture powers, highlighting the continued importance of bank-account intervention in financial crime investigations.
The statistics also show that £26.1 million was paid to victims from proceeds recovered through confiscation orders. This figure does not represent all compensation paid through the wider criminal justice system.
Why the figures matter
The data illustrates how asset denial and recovery operate alongside criminal prosecution. Restraint, freezing and forfeiture powers can prevent suspected criminal property from being dissipated, while confiscation and civil recovery mechanisms can ultimately remove proceeds of crime from offenders.
The Home Office also reported £451.5 million of property investigated under unexplained wealth orders during the year, compared with £1.8 million in the previous financial year. The value frozen through interim freezing orders reached £431.7 million.
For AML and financial crime teams, the figures reinforce the operational importance of tracing funds quickly, identifying assets held through bank accounts and other structures, and preserving financial intelligence that can support restraint, forfeiture and recovery proceedings.
The Home Office cautioned that the latest figures supersede previously reported data because the underlying operational database is updated retrospectively. Most headline comparisons are also presented in nominal terms unless otherwise stated.
Sources
UK Home Office — Asset recovery statistics: financial years ending 2021 to 2026
