Serpent clutch, 15-carat diamond: First look at forfeited luxury goods from S$3b money laundering case

More than 600 luxury items will be sold in the first two of a series of 15 online auctions running until May 2027.

Luxury bags on display during a preview of items forfeited in Singapore's S$3 billion money-laundering case at Hotlotz on Sep 10, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

This audio is generated by an AI tool.

SINGAPORE: A 15-carat yellow diamond ring, a leather Chanel water bottle holder and a pink enamel clutch in the shape of a serpent’s head.

These are among more than 600 luxury goods being auctioned by Hotlotz after they were forfeited in Singapore’s largest money laundering case .

More than 1,000 items and 80 properties were seized and forfeited in connection with the case, which emerged after islandwide raids in August 2023 uncovered millions of dollars earned from an illicit gambling ring based in Southeast Asia.

The luxury goods are now open for bidding online, with viewing appointments starting next week.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less

Jewellery to be auctioned by Hotlotz on display at Le Freeport on Sep 10, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

A Bulgari x Mary Katrantzou clutch on display at Le Freeport on Sep 10, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

“The response has been overwhelmingly good,” said co-founder and director of auctions Christopher Lanigan O'Keeffe at a media preview on Thursday (Sep 10).

Slots to view the items have been filling up fast, with the roughly 75 slots available each day from next Monday to Saturday nearly fully booked. Viewing is strictly by appointment, and walk-ins are not allowed.

Mr Lanigan O'Keeffe said the case has captured public attention in Singapore over the past couple of years. “There's been a huge anticipation as to what is going to happen with all these items. So finally, we can see an end to that process,” he said.

The auction house will hold 15 online auctions from September to May 2027. The first two , featuring fine jewellery, luxury handbags and accessories, have a pre-sale estimate of between S$2.9 million and S$3.9 million.

Hotlotz co-founder and director of auctions, Mr Christopher Lanigan O'Keeffe, on Sep 10, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

The first auction, closing at 4pm on Sep 20, will have handbags and accessories from brands including Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.

The second, closing at the same time on Sep 27, features jewellery pieces from makers such as Graff, Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels.

The seized assets came to Hotlotz about four months ago, when the auction house was appointed to run the sale. The items are kept at Le Freeport, a high-security storage facility in Changi.

Prior to that, the goods were in the custody of auditing firm Deloitte and the Singapore Police Force, said Mr Lanigan O'Keeffe.

Christian Dior bags on display at Le Freeport on Sep 10, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

When an item arrives at an auction house, a specialist assesses its authenticity, condition and other factors affecting valuation. While some pieces showed signs of wear, their condition was “generally very good”, he said.

“The way the bidding process works, it's not too much different to a live in-room auction, except people are bidding against each other online, and there's no physical auctioneer there taking the bids,” said Mr Lanigan O'Keeffe.

Every bidder must register and verify their identity before being allowed to bid, he added. After each auction, successful bidders will be sent invoices and can arrange delivery once payment is made in full.

A limited-edition Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin Bag in monogram leather displayed at Le Freeport on Sep 10, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

A yellow diamond ring on display at Le Freeport on Sep 10, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

As of Thursday evening, a limited-edition Louis Vuitton Yayoi Kusama leather pumpkin bag had racked up the highest bid of S$39,000 among the handbags, above its estimated price of S$12,000 to S$16,000.

For jewellery, the highest bid was for a 15.02 carat yellow diamond ring at S$190,000. The ring has an estimated price of between S$200,000 and S$300,000.

A rare Hermes Kelly diamond bracelet to be auctioned by Hotlotz on display at Le Freeport on Sep 10, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

Mr Lanigan O'Keeffe said some pieces – like a rare Hermes Kelly diamond bracelet – cannot easily be bought elsewhere. The 30-carat bracelet with 263 diamonds has an estimated price of S$150,000 to S$200,000, and the highest bid was S$80,000 on Thursday.

Asked whether the case's profile could affect buyer interest, Mr Lanigan O'Keeffe said it is "very hard to predict".

The 10 offenders, all originally from China, have since been convicted and deported after serving their sentences.

“It's different for every different buyer. Sometimes provenance of an item can increase the value hugely,” he said.

“With this particular case, we weren't sure what the response would be, given the nature of the case. But we've seen a great response so far.”

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app

在持续到 2027 年 5 月的 15 场在线拍卖会的前两场中，将出售 600 多件奢侈品。

2026年9月10日，在新加坡30亿新元洗钱案中被没收的物品预览会上，Hotlotz展出了一系列奢侈品包袋。（图片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

这段音频是由人工智能工具生成的。

新加坡：一枚 15 克拉的黄钻戒指、一个香奈儿皮革水瓶套和一个蛇头形状的粉色珐琅手拿包。

这些是新加坡最大洗钱案中被没收的 600 多件奢侈品中的一部分，这些奢侈品正在由 Hotlotz 拍卖行进行拍卖。

2023 年 8 月，全岛范围内的突击搜查揭露了一个总部位于东南亚的非法赌博团伙，该团伙非法获利数百万美元。在此案中，警方查获并没收了 1000 多件物品和 80 处房产。

这些奢侈品现已开始在线竞拍，下周起可预约现场查看。

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小小谜题，挑战你的大脑 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少

Hotlotz将于2026年9月10日在Le Freeport拍卖行展出并拍卖一批珠宝。（图片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

2026年9月10日，宝格丽与玛丽·卡特兰佐联名款手拿包在Le Freeport展出。（图片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

“反响非常好，”联合创始人兼拍卖总监克里斯托弗·拉尼根·奥基夫在周四（9 月 10 日）的媒体预览会上表示。

参观名额很快就被抢购一空，从下周一到周六，每天大约75个参观名额几乎全部被预订一空。参观必须提前预约，恕不接待未预约的访客。

兰尼根·奥基夫先生表示，过去几年里，这起案件在新加坡引起了公众的广泛关注。“大家都很期待这些物品的最终处置结果。现在，我们终于可以看到这个过程的结束了。”他说。

该拍卖行将于2020年9月至2027年5月期间举办15场线上拍卖会。前两场拍卖会将以高级珠宝、奢侈手袋和配饰为主题，预估成交额在290万至390万新元之间。

Hotlotz联合创始人兼拍卖总监克里斯托弗·拉尼根·奥基夫先生于2026年9月10日。（图片：CNA/伊利·曼索尔）

首场拍卖会将于 9 月 20 日下午 4 点结束，届时将有香奈儿、路易威登和克里斯汀·迪奥等品牌的包袋和配饰进行拍卖。

第二场展览将于 9 月 27 日同时闭幕，展出的珠宝作品来自格拉夫、宝格丽和梵克雅宝等品牌。

大约四个月前，Hotlotz拍卖行受命负责此次拍卖，当时查获的资产被送至该拍卖行。这些物品目前存放在樟宜机场附近的高安全级别仓库Le Freeport。

兰尼根·奥基夫先生表示，在此之前，这些货物由审计公司德勤和新加坡警察部队保管。

2026年9月10日，克里斯汀·迪奥 (Christian Dior) 手袋在 Le Freeport 展出。（图片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

当一件拍品抵达拍卖行时，专家会对其真伪、品相以及其他影响估价的因素进行评估。他表示，虽然有些拍品略有磨损痕迹，但总体而言品相“非常好”。

兰尼根·奥基夫先生说：“竞价过程与现场拍卖并没有太大区别，只是人们是在网上相互竞价，而且没有现场拍卖师接受竞价。”

他补充说，所有竞标者必须先注册并验证身份才能参与竞标。每次拍卖结束后，中标者将收到发票，并在全额付款后安排发货。

2026年9月10日，路易威登与草间弥生联名推出的限量版南瓜包（Monogram皮革款）在Le Freeport展出。（图片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

2026年9月10日，一枚黄钻戒指在Le Freeport展出。（图片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

截至周四晚间，一款限量版路易威登草间弥生皮革南瓜包在所有手提包中拍出了最高价 39,000 新元，高于其 12,000 新元至 16,000 新元的估价。

珠宝方面，最高出价是一枚15.02克拉的黄钻戒指，成交价为19万新元。这枚戒指的估价在20万至30万新元之间。

一条罕见的爱马仕凯莉钻石手链将于2026年9月10日在Le Freeport由Hotlotz拍卖行进行拍卖。（图片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

兰尼根·奥基夫先生表示，有些拍品——例如一条罕见的爱马仕凯莉钻石手链——在其他地方很难买到。这条镶嵌263颗钻石、重达30克拉的手链估价在15万至20万新元之间，周四的最高出价为8万新元。

当被问及此案的性质是否会影响买家的兴趣时，兰尼根·奥基夫先生表示“很难预测”。

这10名罪犯均来自中国，服刑期满后已被定罪并驱逐出境。

“每个买家的情况都不一样。有时候，物品的来源可以大大提升其价值，”他说。

“就此案而言，鉴于案件的特殊性，我们并不确定会有什么反应。但到目前为止，我们看到了很好的反响。”

订阅我们的邮件，即可获取精选热点新闻和引人深思的文章。

订阅通知，第一时间获取突发新闻和精彩报道。

加入我们的频道，即可在您常用的聊天应用上获取当日热门文章。