Criminal assets

Taking the profit out of crime

Serious and organised crime costs Australia billions of dollars every year. This represents a significant threat to the Australian community, economy and broader national security.

The Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) was established by Government in 2011 to help address this threat.

What we do

The CACT investigates criminal wealth by targeting the proceeds and instruments of crime in both Australia and overseas. Targeting the criminal economy and confiscating criminal assets is crucial to disrupting and deterring organised criminal activity and delivering maximum impact.

Led by the AFP, the CACT also brings together the resources and expertise of the:

• Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
• Australian Taxation Office
• AUSTRAC
• Australian Border Force.

The CACT’s world leading model has physically co-located, Australia-wide teams of police officers, litigators, financial investigators, forensic accountants and partner agency specialists. Together, we investigate and remove the proceeds and instruments of crime.

The CACT also works with domestic and international law enforcement partners. They help us identify, investigate and litigate asset confiscation matters.

Where the confiscated assets go

The funds realised from the liquidation of confiscated assets are deposited into the Confiscated Assets Account. The Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA) manages the CAA on behalf of the Australian Government.

Examples of confiscated assets include:

• cash, cryptocurrency and monies in bank accounts
• property and land
• share portfolios
• gold bullion and other precious metals
• luxury vehicles, planes and boats
• artwork
• luxury watches, jewellery and handbags
• other collectibles.

Funds deposited into the CAA are used to benefit the community through crime prevention, intervention or diversion programs or other law enforcement or community related initiatives. These include:

• National DNA Program for Unidentified and Missing Persons
• Human trafficking awareness campaign ‘Look a Little Deeper’
• ThinkUKnow – online child safety schools program
• Neighbourhood Watch Australasia.