Rahman Ravelli’s Francesca Cassidy-Taylor comments on the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) recent achievement in its long-running and high-profile investigation of Zamira Hajiyeva, the wife of jailed Azeri banker Jahangir Hajiyev.
In her comments, Francesca highlights the NCA's success in seizing £22 million in properties following its issue of the first Unexplained Wealth Order in 2018. This marks a significant milestone for the NCA's efforts to tackle "dirty money." Francesca notes that the agency’s victory, after a six-year legal battle, underscores both the potential and challenges of UWOs in addressing illicit financial flows.
Francesca emphasises the considerable investigatory demands placed on law enforcement to pursue such cases, despite the initial expectation that UWOs would be a straightforward tool. She points out that the extensive asset tracing required can be both time-consuming and resource-intensive, explaining why the NCA has issued relatively few UWOs since their introduction in 2017.
To read the full article click here (subscription required).
Featured at: Law360