A SEASIDE holiday home linked to the South East Antrim UDA and believed to have been purchased with the proceeds of fraud and money laundering has been seized by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Officers in the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF) obtained a recovery order by consent in Belfast High Court over the static home, located in Ballyhalbert, Co. Down.
The order was granted on March 7 and the holiday home was recovered from the site by the NCA on Thursday.
"Recovering this holiday home is an excellent result in our investigation into the source of funding used to purchase it and in our wider work to tackle and disrupt paramilitary crime groups," said Adam Ewart, Senior Manager in NCA investigations.
"Civil recovery powers are a strong tool we can use to prevent those engaged in criminal activity from benefitting financially or materially from it.
"The NCA's team of specialist financial investigators works to protect the public by interrupting illicit cash flows and preventing them from funding serious and organised crime."
The holiday home was seized on Thursday (Image: NCA)The owner of the holiday home, 29-year-old Naomi Lough from Newtownabbey, consented to the order.
The NCA said some of her family are believed to be senior members of South East Antrim UDA.
However, it added that Ms Lough is not alleged to be directly involved in the group and denied being involved in any unlawful conduct.
Detective Superintendent Avine Kelly, from the PSNI's Organised Crime Branch, welcomed the seizure.
"This is an excellent result for the Paramilitary Crime Task Force, and an example of how collective efforts can disrupt the activities of paramilitary groups," she said.
"We, along with our PCTF partners, remain committed to tackling and disrupting the coercive control and criminal activities of those who seek to make their living from crime.
"I would encourage anyone with information, or concerns, about criminality in their local area to contact our officers on 101."
