Asset forfeiture WTF?

New Zealand's civil asset forfeiture regime still isn't as bad as America's. Seized assets don't go directly into the pockets of the police department making the seizure.

But this is a bit odd:

It was not fair and just in a community if people saw someone they knew was spending more money than they would have legitimately.

Most of the cases the unit dealt with were about disrupting organised crime, especially drug dealing, but it also looked at the proceeds of other types of crime such as tax cases, fishing offences, customs scams, and social welfare fraud.

One was about seizing the proceeds from people who had been making and fitting dentures but were not properly qualified.

Asset forfeiture as a backup to an occupational licensing regime? Really?