The latest £1.8 million seized is made up of £765,000 from convicted criminals, £667,000 in cash seizures, and £343,000 from civil court recovery orders.

Included are the estimated £150,000 proceeds from the sale of 10 flats confiscated from a convicted drug dealer and a company in which he had an interest.

Dundee-based businessman Paul Anthony Cox, whose last known address was in Pitkerro Road, was jailed for three-and-a-half years in 2004 after being caught with £83,000 of cannabis resin in a hospital car park.

He had a limited legitimate income, the Crown Office said, but was able to buy the properties from his involvement in drug-related crime.

Officials successfully applied to confiscate the flats in June this year.

Another Dundee seizure in the last six months involved Michael McFarlane (53), last known address Corso Street, who, in May 2005 at Edinburgh High Court, admitted to being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

Police had been tipped off that he was travelling by train to Dundee with drugs in December 2004 and, when detained and searched, he was found to be carrying a bag containing cocaine valued at around £120,000.

McFarlane admitted getting the bag from another man to pay off a £2000 debt.

McFarlane was sentenced to three years in prison and, after discussions with the defence, settlement was agreed and a confiscation order for £9530 made at Dundee Sheriff Court.

More than £10 million has been seized nationwide in the last three years under the act, to be specifically invested by the Scottish Executive in community projects.

Assets valued at an estimated £12.5 million have also been frozen in Scotland during the last six months as a result of the powers, which came into force in 2003.

Tayside Police pioneered the use of the legislation and the force was the first in Scotland to take advantage of a reduction in July of the minimum amount of cash that can be seized.

It’s understood that the total value of property and assets restrained by the Tayside force in the last 18 months is around £1.25 million.

A force spokesman said today, “We will take every opportunity to exercise the powers given to us under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

“It is an extremely valuable tool, which truly holds the criminal to account, seizing money from them that would otherwise have been used to fund a life of crime.

“We have four financial investigators working to bring cases before the courts and exercising the legislation under the Act on a weekly basis in Tayside.

“These assets can be seized from criminals involved in a range of activities, as the legislation covers any acquisitive crime.

“The benefit is it hits criminals in the pocket and takes away their means of investing in any future criminal enterprises.”

Mrs Angiolini said the powers were enabling her department to make a serious dent in Scotland’s black market economy.

She said, “Year on year we are continuing to make good on the promise to use the Proceeds of Crime Act to hit criminals where it hurts — in the pocket.

“Using the full powers of the criminal and civil courts, we are proving day after day that by working with the police and other criminal justice agencies we can make a serious dent in the Scottish black market economy.”

Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson also welcomed the seizures, saying it would make criminals “think again”.

She said, “When we introduced the Proceeds of Crime Act in 2002, we were determined to clamp down on those involved in evil trades like drug dealing by stripping them of their ill-gotten gains.

“Those substantial powers are now being used to increasing affect — to hit those individuals in their pocket — and re-assure communities that we will not allow such criminals to lord it up at their expense.”

Seized money has so far been reinvested in projects such as drug awareness campaigns, mobile CCTV vans, graffiti clean-up vehicles and organised street basketball.