The civil forfeiture program turns our justice system back 400 years. Back to where a man was assumed guilty unless he could prove he was innocent. The program can also be used to take away the money that a charged man would need to hire a lawyer.
If the people mentioned in the article are found guilty of drug charges, money laundering etc., then confiscate their property. In addition, give them a long prison term rather than a slap on the wrist of a light jail sentence.
This type of law is open to abuse. In the U.S. it is being abused. This has resulted in a huge decrease in respect for the police (think Black Lives Matter because of car seizures).
This abuse by police in the (United) States is also why you should never have more than 150 dollars cash with you when travelling there.
There may be good intentions behind this law. But our ancestors came up with an adage for good intentions: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
Charles Mac Leod, Red Deer