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Section 297A: Forfeiture notice

Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 · 2002 c. 29View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 5: Civil recovery of the proceeds etc. of unlawful conduct — Chapter 3: Recovery of cash in summary proceedings

Subsection (2) applies while any cash is detained in pursuance of an order under section 295(2) made by a magistrates' court in England and Wales or Northern Ireland.

A senior officer may give a notice for the purpose of forfeiting the cash or any part of it if satisfied that the cash or part—

is recoverable property, or
is intended by any person for use in unlawful conduct.

The Secretary of State must make regulations about how a notice is to be given.

The regulations may provide—

for a notice to be given to such person or persons, and in such manner, as may be prescribed;
for a notice to be given by publication in such manner as may be prescribed;
for circumstances in which, and the time at which, a notice is to be treated as having been given.

The regulations must ensure that where a notice is given it is, if possible, given to every person to whom notice of an order under section 295(2) in respect of the cash has been given.

A senior officer means—

an officer of Revenue and Customs of a rank designated by the Commissioners for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs as equivalent to that of a senior police officer,
an immigration officer of a rank designated by the Secretary of State as equivalent to that of a senior police officer,
a senior police officer, ...
the Director of the Serious Fraud Office, or
the Director General of the National Crime Agency or any other National Crime Agency officer authorised by the Director General (whether generally or specifically) for this purpose,
an accredited financial investigator.

A senior police officer means a police officer of at least the rank of inspector.

A notice under this section is referred to in this Chapter as a forfeiture notice.

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.