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The Police Digital Service (PDS) has appointed NEC Software Solutions (NECSWS) to deliver a new Asset Recovery IT (ARIT) system, designed to transform how the UK tracks, manages and recovers criminal assets – including emerging forms such as cryptocurrency.
ARIT will be used by police forces, the National Crime Agency (NCA), HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and local councils to manage items seized from criminals. The new platform will streamline how assets are recorded, tracked and shared between agencies, helping teams work together more effectively, strengthen evidence presented in court and prevent illicit funds from being channelled back into criminal activity such as fraud and organised immigration crime.
The system forms part of 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, which aims to improve the UK’s ability to recover criminal assets and tackle economic crime.
“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.”
Marco Fiorentino, Executive Director, NEC Software Solutions.
ARIT will replace the Joint Asset Recovery Database (JARD), which has been in use since 2003 and currently supports more than 180 agencies and organisations. A Home Office Police and Public Protection Technology discovery report published at the end of 2024 concluded that JARD’s technology had become outdated, expensive to maintain and too rigid for today’s complex investigations.
“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.”
Tony Eastaugh CBE, CEO at the Police Digital Service.
To ensure the new system meets the needs of all users, PDS and NECSWS will continue working closely with police officers, financial investigators, prosecutors and local authorities throughout the development process.
Development is expected to continue through to 2026, with national rollout scheduled by the end of that year, when JARD will be formally retired.
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