Northern Ireland Children's Hospice receive festive boost as criminal assets turn into welcome cheque

Detectives have handed over a cheque for over £1,500 to the charity, after raising money from the auctioning of vehicles which had been seized by officers from the Paramilitary Crime Task Force.

Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Hill, Head of Organised Crime Branch, said: “Paramilitaries make a living from crime, using a regime of fear and violence to exercise control over the most vulnerable in our society.

"We, along with our partner organisations, are committed to tackling such criminal activities – from money-lending to drug-dealing – and their harrowing effects.”

He continued: “We had a heartening opportunity to turn something negative, in the form of assets linked with crime, into something really positive. Through the auction of two cars, which were seized in Belfast and linked to criminality, we’ve raised £1,504 that we have been able to provide to the Children’s Hospice, as a chosen charity.”

To find out more about the work of the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice go to www.nihospice.org

The Paramilitary Crime Task Force is a multi-agency task force set up in Northern Ireland to protect communities by tackling all forms of criminality linked to paramilitarism. It consists of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the National Crime Agency and HM Revenue & Customs.