The Government has confirmed the new tools police will be given to help seize illicit assets of organised crime, which is expected to rake in $25 million each year.

As reported by Stuff on Monday morning, the Government plans to amend the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act to force associates of known criminals prove that they were able to afford their assets by legal means.

However, National says the Government is scrambling to deal with an out of control gang situation, and people are more worried about gun crime than stolen money being hidden in Kiwisaver accounts.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern provided more details on the measures during the post-Cabinet media conference on Monday, which she said would raise about $25 million per year.

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The new laws aim to prevent organised crime figures form hiding their wealth by putting it in the names of associates. The changes are targeted at gangs in an attempt to ensure that crime doesnt pay.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke about new measures to crackdown on crime, at the weekly post-Cabinet press conference.

If someone is associated with an organised criminal group, and its suspected they couldnt have funded their assets legitimately, then they can now be required to prove to the court how they came to possess them or face having them seized, Justice Minister Kiri Allan said.

Currently, organised criminals structure their affairs to avoid their illicit assets being restrained and forfeited. This is done by creating distance between themselves and the assets by putting property into associates names, Allan said.

The new rules allow the official assignee a government agent who manages seized assets to hold onto them until the courts determine their future, rather than just for 28 days.

Abigail Dougherty/Stuff

Justice Minister Kiri Allan outlined changes to make it tougher to hide ill-gotten wealth.

A new court order will also be introduced meaning that criminals overseas who have assets in New Zealand could lose them in two months unless they provide proof they were obtained legally.

The Government also announced changes that will allow funds in KiwiSaver Scheme to be subject to civil forfeiture orders. This means criminals will not be able to hide illegal funds in KiwiSaver.

The Kiwisaver changes come after convicted fraudster Joanne Harrison was able to keep and access Kiwisaver funds that she had stolen from the Ministry of Transport.

However, National Partys justice spokesman Paul Goldsmith said the Government were scrambling to deal with an out of control gang situation, almost five years since coming into power.

Today's announcement will help, but it has to be part of a clear, consistent and forceful response to gangs. And we are just not getting that - we are getting very mixed messages, he said.

I think people are more worried about being shot at, than about gangs using KiwiSaver to salt money away.

The new policies are part of a suite being introduced by the Government next week to help to bolster its law and order credentials.

Labour has been under significant pressure from National and ACT parties for being soft on crime.

The Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was passed in 2009. An illicit asset is an umbrella term for property derived from significant criminal activity.

Polices experience with criminal proceeds investigations tells us that use of intermediaries, third parties, relatives or friends are a feature of many cases now investigated, Police Minister Chris Hipkins said.

The steps taken today continue the Governments multi-faceted approach to tackling the harm caused by gangs and other organised criminal groups.

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Government outlines new laws to crackdown on hidden criminal wealth - Stuff