B.C. civil forfeiture laws net millions

Solicitor General Rich Coleman said Tuesday a five-bedroom home in Vancouver's upscale Kerrisdale neighbourhood was the most expensive single property surrendered by crooks in 2010.

Nearly 1,000 pot plants were found in the home during a raid one year earlier and it took about 12 months to arrange the forfeiture, repair and sell the property.

Coleman said that single sale pumped nearly $600,000 into B.C. coffersabout 10 per cent of the total seized in 2010 from organized crime and unlawful activity.

In all, 18 properties, six vehicles and 56 bundles of ill-gotten cash were taken from B.C. criminals last year for a total value of $5.3 million.

Coleman said property, cars and cash worth nearly $83 million are still being processed under B.C.'s five-year-old program targeting the tools and proceeds of crime.