Court orders gangster to pay £1

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Loyalist paramilitary Andre Shoukri has been ordered to hand back a single pound in legal proceedings targeting his ill-gotten gains.

Belfast Crown Court heard on Tuesday that Shoukri had no realisable assets and so the Crown and defence had agreed on the nominal sum.

However the police say if Shoukri obtains assets on his release they can be seized, up to a value of £147,000.

Shoukri is serving a nine year sentence for extortion and blackmail.

The application for confiscation of assets related to Shoukri's home at Clare Heights in Belfast which he bought with a dishonestly obtained money transfer.

'Beneath contempt'

Describing Shoukri as a "career criminal" who thought he was "above the law when in fact he was beneath contempt," Det Supt Kevin Dunwoody said the case showed that anyone who lives a criminal lifestyle can expect to be stripped of their assets.

The head of the PSNI Economic Crime Bureau continued: "This is a case of one man thinking he was untouchable, using money that wasn't his to live a life of luxury he didn't deserve.

"This order means that if at any date following his release from prison he realises any assets, detectives from the Organised Crime Squad will ask the court to strip him of these to the equal of £147,000."

It is understood that Shoukri's house at Clare Heights has been seized and is up for sale but that given the current state of the housing market, it may not meet the full sum being demanded.

Sentenced by Mr Justice Treacy 18 months ago, Shoukri and his gang blackmailed the owners of a bar to hand over money, chequebooks and the keys to the premises.

Tuesday's confiscation order was also granted by Mr Justice Treacy.