New National System to Recover Criminal Assets to be Built by NEC Software Solutions

ARIT will help organisations including, police forces, the National Crime Agency (NCA), HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and local councils manage items seized from criminals. By streamlining the way these assets are tracked and shared, ARIT will help teams work together more effectively, improve evidence for court, and prevent criminal money from funding further illegal activity such as fraud or organised immigration crime.

ARIT is a key commitment in the Home Office’s Economic Crime Plan and supports the government’s wider Anti-Money Laundering and Asset Recovery (AMLAR) Programme to improve the UK’s ability to recover criminal assets  and reduce economic crime.

Marco Fiorentino, Executive Director, NEC Software Solutions said, “The new system will make it easier to protect the public and stop criminals from profiting from illegal activity. With ARIT, whether it’s a police officer seizing a suspect’s luxury car, a financial investigator tracking laundered cryptocurrency, or a council officer handling illicit cash, they’ll be able to log and track evidence quickly and simply.  This will lead to quicker action, clearer evidence, and improved results in court.”

Tony Eastaugh CBE, CEO at the Police Digital Service said: “ARIT represents a bold step forward in our mission to equip UK law enforcement with the digital tools needed to tackle the evolving threat of economic crime. This project is a testament to the impact of collaboration and innovation in public service, and I’m proud of the role PDS is playing in delivering a solution that helps safeguard communities and ensure that crime doesn’t pay.”

ARIT will replace the Joint Asset Recovery Database (JARD), which has been in operation since 2003 and is used by more than 180 agencies and organisations.  At the end of 2024, a Home Office Police and Public Protection Technology discovery report concluded that JARD’s technology was outdated, expensive to maintain, and lacked the flexibility needed for today’s complex investigations.

To ensure ARIT works well for everyone using it, NECSWS and PDS will work closely with police officers, financial investigators, prosecutors, and local authorities to build a solution that meets their individual needs.

Development will continue through to 2026, with the system set for national rollout by the end of that year, when JARD will be formally retired.