ARIANE CRAFTS ANALYSIS

Do Communities Grappling with Crime Lack Standards? The Case for Reinvesting Seized Criminal Assets

The question of whether communities “grappling with crime” lack standards is a fraught one, often leading to victim-blaming and overlooking the systemic issues that contribute to high crime rates. Instead, a more productive lens is to examine the lack of resources and investment in these communities, and how the proceeds of crime could be a powerful tool for rebuilding.

The recent global response to the conflict in Ukraine offers a compelling precedent. Western governments have moved decisively to freeze and, in some cases, explore the redirection of vast sums of Russian sovereign assets to aid Ukraine’s defence and eventual reconstruction. This unprecedented financial manoeuvre, driven by geopolitical imperatives, highlights a model that could be applied domestically to communities ravaged by organised crime. If nations can seize and reallocate billions from an aggressor state, why not from criminal enterprises that inflict daily devastation on their own citizens?

The Precedent: Reinvesting Frozen Russian Assets in Ukraine

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a coalition of Western nations, including the EU, U.S., Canada, UK, and Japan, froze significant Russian assets. Estimates of the total frozen sovereign assets vary, but in September 2023, officials from sanctioning countries assessed the total at around $280 billion (€262 billion), with approximately €210 billion ($224 billion) held in EU member states. Euroclear, a Belgium-based central securities depository, holds a substantial portion, approximately €183 billion ($192 million). Other significant holdings include Japan with $33 billion (€30 billion), the UK with £25 billion ($34 billion), and the U.S. with $5 billion (€4.6 billion).

The international community is actively discussing and implementing mechanisms to utilise these frozen assets. For instance, the G7’s $50 billion extraordinary revenue acceleration loans to Ukraine will be repaid using the profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets in the EU. This demonstrates a clear commitment to using ill-gotten or frozen gains for a greater public good and rebuilding efforts.

The Domestic Imperative: A Call for Reinvestment in Crime-Affected Communities

This bold approach to international asset reallocation should serve as a powerful inspiration for communities within Western nations that are “grappling with crime.” These communities, often the most vulnerable, bear the brunt of drug dealing, human trafficking, and violence. Just as Ukraine deserves rebuilding funds from those who inflicted damage, so too do domestic communities deserve a portion of the vast sums seized from the criminal organisations that have devastated them.

Current asset forfeiture programmes exist in both the US and UK, but the argument is for a more direct and substantial reinvestment into the specific communities most harmed.

The United States: A History of Seizure, a Need for Reinvestment

In the U.S., the Asset Forfeiture Program, established in 1984, allows law enforcement to seize proceeds of crime. The U.S. Marshals Service, a key player in this, managed to distribute $383 million to participating state and local law enforcement agencies in 2024, and $605 million to victims of crime and claimants. While some forfeited funds are used to support drug abuse treatment, prevention, housing, and other community-based programmes, the scale of reinvestment often pales in comparison to the damage inflicted.

How can we break  the pervasive impact of gangs like Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) in objective terms ? I would highlight ,

• Reach and Violence: While membership estimates have remained around 10,000 in the US since 2005, MS-13 operates in at least 42 states and the District of Columbia. They are notorious for extreme violence, including extortion, drug distribution, prostitution, robbery, and murder.
• Community Devastation: Their presence often leads to an “uptick in violent homicides” in certain locales. For example, in Suffolk County, NY, in May 2017, the police commissioner estimated that 38% of murders since 2016 were attributable to MS-13. Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York have indicted two dozen MS-13 members for crimes including at least 15 murders, assaults, arson, and drug distribution.
• Recruitment and Fear: They target middle and high school students for recruitment, preying on vulnerable youth and further entrenching their presence within communities.

The vast sums of money generated by MS-13’s illicit activities, from drug trafficking to extortion, are seized by law enforcement. A more direct pipeline of these seized funds back into the communities they terrorise could fund desperately needed youth programmes, educational initiatives, mental health services, and community-led violence prevention strategies, providing alternatives to gang life.

The United Kingdom: Seizing Profits, Strengthening Communities

The UK also has a robust framework for seizing criminal assets through the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA). In the financial year ending March 2024, £243.3 million of assets were recovered from confiscation, forfeiture, and civil recovery orders. The Home Office Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) allows a proportion of these recovered assets to be paid back to law enforcement to drive asset recovery and fund local crime-fighting priorities for the benefit of the community. The Met Police, for example, uses this money to support asset recovery policing and tackle violence and gangs.

However, the question remains: is enough of this money directly reaching the communities most devastated by criminal activity, beyond law enforcement’s operational budgets?

Consider the impact of specific gangs:

• Mali Boys (MaliStrip): Based in Leyton and Walthamstow, East London (E10 and E17), the Mali Boys are known for controlling the drug trade with extreme violence. In 2019, they were reported to have 40-50 members and were responsible for hundreds of violent attacks and a number of killings. They are highly organised, operating “county lines” drug networks and engaging in criminal child exploitation. In 2018, police sources estimated the gang generated approximately £50,000 per week from drug sales. The murder of 14-year-old Jaden Moodie in 2019 by Mali Boys members tragically illustrates the devastating impact of gang violence on youth.
• Asian Gangs (e.g., Menace of Destruction – MOD): While the Menace of Destruction (MOD) gang is primarily known for its activities in the US, particularly among Hmong communities (founded in California in 1988, with significant presence in California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc.), it’s crucial to acknowledge the broader issue of Asian organised crime’s role in international drug importation. MOD, for instance, is known for drug trafficking (marijuana and methamphetamine) and has been linked to large-scale drug rings, such as one busted in the Twin Cities in 2012 that smuggled millions of dollars’ worth of methamphetamine from Mexico with the cartel La Familia.
  

In the UK, the National Crime Agency (NCA) highlights that most illegal drugs originate overseas and are trafficked into the UK via various routes, including container shipping, yachts, light aircraft, and vehicle traffic from continental Europe. Organised crime groups involved in drug trafficking are typically also involved in a range of criminal activities, with profits funding illegal firearms and other criminal operations. This underscores how international drug networks, including those with Asian gang affiliations, funnel illicit substances into Western countries, with devastating effects on local communities.

The Argument for Targeted Reinvestment

The moral and practical argument for reinvesting seized criminal assets directly into the communities they harm is compelling:

1. Justice for Victims: It provides a direct form of restitution to communities that have suffered significant social, economic, and human costs due to criminal activity.
2. Community Empowerment: By channelling funds into local initiatives, communities can develop their own solutions, tailored to their specific needs, fostering resilience and self-determination.
3. Prevention and Intervention: These funds could bolster programmes that offer alternatives to gang life, support victims of exploitation, and provide crucial resources for drug rehabilitation and violence interruption.
4. Deterrence: While asset seizure already serves as a deterrent, seeing the direct positive impact of those seizures on their own streets could further erode the appeal of criminal enterprises within affected neighbourhoods.
5. Shifting the Narrative: It moves the conversation from “communities lacking standards” to “communities demanding and receiving the resources to heal and thrive,” acknowledging the external forces of organised crime.

Conclusion

The willingness of Western governments to reallocate billions in frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s recovery sets a powerful precedent. It demonstrates that when there is political will, substantial funds can be repurposed from harmful entities for restorative purposes.

Communities grappling with crime are not lacking in standards; they are often lacking in the fundamental resources needed to combat the pervasive influence of criminal organisations. By demanding that funds seized from cartels and gangs be directly reinvested into the communities most affected by drug dealing, trafficking, and prostitution, American and British community leaders can advocate for a transformative approach to justice

Bibliography

• “Asset Forfeiture Program.” U.S. Marshals Service. Accessed July 11, 2025. (Note: You’ll need to find the specific page for the latest annual report or relevant statistics as the exact URL for the 2024 data wasn’t available in my last update. Look for “Annual Reports” or “Statistics.”)
• “Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS).” Home Office. Accessed July 11, 2025. (Note: This is a general guidance page; you’d want to search for the specific ARIS annual report or statistics for the most up-to-date figures).
• “G7 Leaders’ Statement on Ukraine.” The White House. Accessed July 11, 2025. (Note: This is the source for the G7 loan information, published June 13, 2024).
• “MS-13: The Mara Salvatrucha Threat.” FBI. Last modified September 28, 2020. (Note: While an older article, it provides good background on MS-13’s scope and tactics).
• National Crime Agency. “National Strategic Assessment of Serious and Organised Crime 2023.” Accessed July 11, 2025. (Note: This is a general assessment; you would cite specific pages or sections if quoting directly).
• “Police: MS-13 Responsible For 38 Percent Of Murders In Suffolk County.” CBS New York. May 17, 2017.
• “Profits from frozen Russian assets: What are the plans?” European Council. Updated May 21, 2024.
• “The Mali Boys: ‘They’re the most violent gang in London’.” My London. Updated January 14, 2022. (Note: Provides good detail on the gang’s operations and impact).
• United States Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).” 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment. Accessed July 11, 2025. (Note: Specific page numbers or sections would be needed if directly quoting).
• “US prosecutors reveal federal indictments of two dozen MS-13 gang members in New York.” Reuters. February 20, 2020.
• “£243.3 million recovered from criminals in the last year.” Home Office. July 25, 2024. (Note: This is the specific source for the UK’s asset recovery figures for FY ending March 2024).