POLICE Scotland have seized designer watches, jewellery and gift vouchers from criminals worth almost £600,000, new figures reveal.

Information obtained by The Herald on Sunday shows that items worth a total of £596,865 were recovered over the last four years using powers aimed at cracking down on criminals who buy high price goods to launder illegal earnings.

The data, obtained using Freedom of Information legislation, reveals that a watch worth £50,000 was among the seized goods.

The powers, which allow officers to confiscate jewellery, betting slips, vouchers, stamps and precious metals, were introduced in 2018 as part of changes to the Criminal Finances Act.

Police Scotland have said the rules are a “powerful deterrent” to organised criminals.

Detective superintendent David Ferry said: “The Criminal Finances Act 2017 provides police and law enforcement agencies with further legislative powers to seize the assets of criminals which have been obtained through their criminal activities.

“It provides an effective tool in ensuring goods obtained through illegal means are seized, preventing criminals from profiting or benefiting from their criminal endeavours.”

The figures reveal that a total of almost £502,000 in watches was seized over the four years, as well as £36,000 in jewellery, £49,000 in precious metals and £9,500 in gift vouchers.

The most expensive item seized over the period was a designer watch worth £50,000.

Items worth a total of £386,946 were seized in 2019 – the largest amount recovered in a year. While just £39,000 of goods were confiscated last year during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The most recent figure shows that watches worth £112,000 were recovered in 2021.

At the time the new legislation as introduced, the then cabinet secretary for justice Michael Matheson said: “This is a significant step in ensuring criminals cannot profit from unlawful activities and gives our law enforcement agencies additional powers to seize assets acquired by illegal means.

“More than £6m was recovered by the Crown Office and the Civil Recovery Unit in 2017/18. However, expanding the definition of what can be treated as cash and what our police officers can search for as they seek to disrupt criminal activity has the potential to further impact Scottish organised crime.

“I am determined that crime will not pay and that every ill-gotten asset can be put back into communities through the Cashback programme, whether it’s a gemstone, betting slip or casino chip. There must be no respite in tackling organised crime and the harm it causes.”