Informants and undercover investigations play critical roles in helping law enforcement agencies identify, seize, and forfeit property that is used or intended for use in the commission of a crime, property acquired or maintained as the result of a crime, property purchased with the proceeds of a crime, and enterprise interests acquired or conducted through racketeering. Preliminary investigative steps in forfeiture investigations encompass mail covers, trash analysis, public records analysis, telephone records analysis, and physical surveillance. The use of informants in asset recovery involves both criminal and noncriminal informants and debriefing. The success of undercover operations in asset recovery depends on networking with other law enforcement agencies, sharing forfeited property, and seeking private sector support. 40 references and 20 endnotes