An ice cream salesman from north Belfast has had property worth almost £1.5m frozen by the Assets Recovery Agency.
One of the ice cream vans owned by Stephen Albert Baxter
Belfast High Court heard that Stephen Albert Baxter of Lyndhurst View Park had four properties and was in the process of buying ten more.
It was also told Mr Baxter made money from selling smuggled tobacco.
Agency assistant director Alan McQuillan said his assets far exceeded his income.
"We think he had a maximum of three ice cream vans on the go," he said.
"Part of our case is the income that we can see, and the assets that we can see, are far in excess of anything that would be produced by a business that size, or has been declared for a business that size."
Assets seized from Mr Baxter include the property at Lyndhurst View Park, two apartments in Belfast city centre, an interest in a further eight building developments, two ice-cream vans and a luxury car.