News
- 20 November 2025, 14:27
- The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation
A meeting of the board “On the practice of applying the criminal-law measure of property confiscation” was held at the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia.
Addressing the participants of the event, Aleksandr Gutsan underlined the importance of the topic under discussion in the context of ensuring public security and safeguarding the economic interests of the state: “Confiscation of property obtained through criminal means, the income derived from it, as well as the means and instruments used to commit crimes, is one of the key tools of ensuring the inevitability of responsibility for criminal offences and for weakening the economic foundation of crime”.
The Prosecutor General of Russia pointed out the existing drawbacks in the activities of police operational services, investigative authorities and prosecutors that exist in practice. This leads to the fact that only every third asset search order, which could allow for confiscation, proves to be effective.
At the meeting it was underlined that modern confiscation is not a punitive measure, rather an instrument that, first of all, allows to return to the budget the illegally acquired assets, deprive criminals of the ability to continue their illegal activities.
For example, thanks to the joined work of the prosecutors with other interested agencies, in 2.5 years, a fully functioning system has been established for the confiscation of cars from drivers who operate a vehicle while intoxicated or without a license. In cases of repeated driving while intoxicated more than 33.000 cars were confiscated. Over 5.500 units of confiscated vehicles were handed over to the special military operation zone, 146 units – for development of new regions, another 19 units – to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. By the end of 2024, criminal offences such as drunk driving decreased by 15%. In 2025, the downward trend continues.
The prosecutors seek the confiscation of the tools and means used by defendants to commit crimes – expensive weapons and watercraft from poachers, chainsaws and specialized equipment from illegal loggers, gambling equipment from organizers of underground casino. The increased attention is paid to the confiscation of corruption proceeds.
However, corrupt officials, counterfeit alcohol dealers, smugglers of wood and robbers of other country’s natural wealth still take measures to hide illicit fortune. In particular, it is about registration of real estate and expensive transport on controlled persons, transfer of funds to foreign accounts.
“The discussion showed that the adopted organizational and supervisory measures had not fully positive effect on the formation of a uniform law-enforcement practice,” Aleksandr Gutsan noted. “This work needs to be continued. Rather, increasing efforts to eliminate serious shortcomings and systematic deficiencies in ensuring the enforcement of confiscation”.
In particular, the Russian Prosecutor General paid attention to a formal approach to the verification of assets of suspects and accused persons, ineffective exercise of supervisory powers at the investigation stage, lack of proactivity in court proceedings.
In this respect, prosecutorial authorities are instructed to coordinate and intensify the efforts of the authorized authorities in searching illegal assets, including those held by third parties, not excluding former spouses, relatives and other close associates who formally own them. Ensure the timely seizure of assets, proving the illegality of its origin during the investigation and in court, seeking real seizure in favor of the state.
Proceeds from illegal activities must be credited to the budget and serve the interests of the state, contribute to economic development and implementation of social programs.
The Prosecutor General's Office
of the Russian Federation
The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation
20 November 2025, 14:27
A meeting of the board chaired by Aleksandr Gutsan, dedicated to the practice of applying property confiscation in criminal proceedings, was held
A meeting of the board “On the practice of applying the criminal-law measure of property confiscation” was held at the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia.
Addressing the participants of the event, Aleksandr Gutsan underlined the importance of the topic under discussion in the context of ensuring public security and safeguarding the economic interests of the state: “Confiscation of property obtained through criminal means, the income derived from it, as well as the means and instruments used to commit crimes, is one of the key tools of ensuring the inevitability of responsibility for criminal offences and for weakening the economic foundation of crime”.
The Prosecutor General of Russia pointed out the existing drawbacks in the activities of police operational services, investigative authorities and prosecutors that exist in practice. This leads to the fact that only every third asset search order, which could allow for confiscation, proves to be effective.
At the meeting it was underlined that modern confiscation is not a punitive measure, rather an instrument that, first of all, allows to return to the budget the illegally acquired assets, deprive criminals of the ability to continue their illegal activities.
For example, thanks to the joined work of the prosecutors with other interested agencies, in 2.5 years, a fully functioning system has been established for the confiscation of cars from drivers who operate a vehicle while intoxicated or without a license. In cases of repeated driving while intoxicated more than 33.000 cars were confiscated. Over 5.500 units of confiscated vehicles were handed over to the special military operation zone, 146 units – for development of new regions, another 19 units – to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. By the end of 2024, criminal offences such as drunk driving decreased by 15%. In 2025, the downward trend continues.
The prosecutors seek the confiscation of the tools and means used by defendants to commit crimes – expensive weapons and watercraft from poachers, chainsaws and specialized equipment from illegal loggers, gambling equipment from organizers of underground casino. The increased attention is paid to the confiscation of corruption proceeds.
However, corrupt officials, counterfeit alcohol dealers, smugglers of wood and robbers of other country’s natural wealth still take measures to hide illicit fortune. In particular, it is about registration of real estate and expensive transport on controlled persons, transfer of funds to foreign accounts.
“The discussion showed that the adopted organizational and supervisory measures had not fully positive effect on the formation of a uniform law-enforcement practice,” Aleksandr Gutsan noted. “This work needs to be continued. Rather, increasing efforts to eliminate serious shortcomings and systematic deficiencies in ensuring the enforcement of confiscation”.
In particular, the Russian Prosecutor General paid attention to a formal approach to the verification of assets of suspects and accused persons, ineffective exercise of supervisory powers at the investigation stage, lack of proactivity in court proceedings.
In this respect, prosecutorial authorities are instructed to coordinate and intensify the efforts of the authorized authorities in searching illegal assets, including those held by third parties, not excluding former spouses, relatives and other close associates who formally own them. Ensure the timely seizure of assets, proving the illegality of its origin during the investigation and in court, seeking real seizure in favor of the state.
Proceeds from illegal activities must be credited to the budget and serve the interests of the state, contribute to economic development and implementation of social programs.
