Noel Young, 32, The Green, Houghton, was ordered to pay £6,946,747.62, which is believed to be one of the largest confiscation orders in the country.

He is currently serving a 28 month prison sentence after admitting conspiring to defraud the customs out of VAT and money laundering.

The confiscation investigation was conducted by specialist financial investigators from the North West Regional Asset Recovery Team.

Young was found to have benefited by £10,551,747.60 through masterminding a huge and complex tax fraud involving importing and selling luxury vehicles. The fraud involved using fake passports and insurance documents to evade paying VAT on more than 250 vehicles. In the proceedings at Liverpool Crown Court he was described by Judge David Aubrey, QC, as "a manipulative and deceitful individual who lied throughout the proceedings and continues to do so."

If he does not pay within six months he will receive a further ten years imprisonment consecutive to the sentence he is currently serving for money laundering and conspiracy to defraud.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Carter, Senior Investigating Officer in the case, said: "This was a lengthy and complex investigation into the activities of Young who headed an organised crime group involved in the importation of high-value top end motor cars. This investigation is an example of Cumbria Constabulary’s continued commitment to dismantling organised crime groups and recovering any financial benefit they may have acquired through their criminal activity."

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Jones, Head of the North West RART said, "This sends a clear message to those involved in organised crime that the law enforcement agencies in this country will do all in their power to confiscate their ill-gotten gains."

CRIME DOESN’T PAY

The Regional Asset Recovery Team (RART) provides a multi agency approach to reducing crime through asset recovery. The activity of the North West RART, which commenced operations in January 2004, is focused on engaging serious and organised crime that operates across individual Police Force boundaries. The RARTs are located in the West Midlands, North West, North East, Wales and London providing coverage across five of the nine Association of Chief Police Officer (ACPO) regions.

Each RART is staffed by financial investigators drawn from the Regional Police Forces, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and includes a Crown Prosecution Service lawyer. The proactive use of the new powers contained in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 is key to the units’ delivery of an enhanced response to financial investigation. This will ensure that criminal assets are identified at an early stage and recovered through confiscation orders made by the courts following conviction. This in turn reduces the funding available to finance future criminality and increases the amounts available to be recycled into law enforcement and crime reduction initiatives.