Fifteen-carat yellow diamond ring, serpent clutch among luxury haul from Singapore’s biggest money laundering case

Singapore's largest money laundering case involves forfeited luxury items, including a 15-carat yellow diamond ring, now being auctioned online by Hotlotz until May 2027.

The first auctions, featuring brands like Chanel and Graff, are estimated to fetch between S$2.9 million and S$3.9 million, with high bidding interest shown so far.

The case, linked to a South-east Asian gambling operation, resulted in the conviction and deportation of 10 offenders from China.

SINGAPORE, Sept 12 — More than 600 luxury items forfeited in Singapore’s largest money laundering case are going under the hammer, including a 15-carat yellow diamond ring and a pink enamel clutch shaped like a serpent’s head.

CNA reported that auction house Hotlotz will conduct 15 online auctions from this month through May 2027, following the seizure and forfeiture of more than 1,000 items and 80 properties linked to the case.

The case came to light after island-wide raids in August 2023 uncovered millions of dollars linked to an illicit gambling operation based in South-east Asia.

The luxury goods are now available for online bidding, with viewing sessions beginning next Monday and running until Saturday, although appointments are required and walk-ins are not permitted.

“The response has been overwhelmingly good,” Hotlotz co-founder and director of auctions Christopher Lanigan O’Keeffe said during a media preview on Thursday.

He said viewing slots had been filling quickly, with almost all of the roughly 75 appointments available each day already booked.

The first two auctions, covering jewellery, handbags and accessories, have combined pre-sale estimates of between S$2.9 million (RM9.3 million) and S$3.9 million.

The first auction, which closes at 4pm on September 20, includes items from Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, while the second, ending at the same time on September 27, features jewellery by Graff, Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels.

The seized goods were transferred to Hotlotz about four months ago after the auction house was appointed to conduct the sales, and are being stored at Le Freeport, a high-security facility in Changi.

Hotlotz said the items had previously been held by auditing firm Deloitte and the Singapore Police Force, while specialists assessed each piece for authenticity, condition and factors affecting its value.

As of Thursday evening, the highest handbag bid was S$39,000 for a limited-edition Louis Vuitton Yayoi Kusama leather pumpkin bag, against an estimated value of S$12,000 to S$16,000, while a 15.02-carat yellow diamond ring had attracted a top bid of S$190,000 against an estimate of S$200,000 to S$300,000.

Among the other high-value pieces is a 30-carat Hermes Kelly diamond bracelet containing 263 diamonds, which is estimated at S$150,000 to S$200,000 and had received a top bid of S$80,000 as of Thursday.

Lanigan O’Keeffe said it was difficult to predict whether the high-profile nature of the case would affect demand, noting that the value buyers place on an item’s provenance varies.

The 10 offenders involved in the case, all originally from China, have been convicted and deported after serving their sentences.

“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,” he said.

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新加坡最大的洗钱案涉及被没收的奢侈品，其中包括一枚 15 克拉的黄钻戒指，目前正由 Hotlotz 在线拍卖，拍卖期至 2027 年 5 月。

首批拍卖品包括香奈儿和格拉夫等品牌，预计成交价在 290 万至 390 万新元之间，目前竞标热情高涨。

该案件与东南亚的一起赌博活动有关，导致 10 名罪犯被定罪并从中国驱逐出境。

新加坡，9 月 12 日讯——在新加坡最大的洗钱案中被没收的 600 多件奢侈品将被拍卖，其中包括一枚 15 克拉的黄钻戒指和一个蛇头形状的粉色珐琅手拿包。

中央社报道称，在查获和没收与此案相关的1000多件物品和80处房产后，拍卖行Hotlotz将从本月到2027年5月举行15场网上拍卖。

2023 年 8 月，全岛范围的突击搜查揭露了与东南亚一家非法赌博机构有关的数百万美元资金，此案由此曝光。

这些奢侈品现已开始在线竞拍，预览活动将于下周一开始，一直持续到周六，但需要预约，不允许直接前往。

Hotlotz 联合创始人兼拍卖总监克里斯托弗·拉尼根·奥基夫在周四的媒体预览会上表示：“反响非常好。”

他说，参观名额很快就被占满了，每天大约 75 个参观名额几乎全部都被预订了。

前两场拍卖会涵盖珠宝、手袋和配饰，预估成交额合计在 290 万新元（930 万令吉）至 390 万新元之间。

第一场拍卖会将于 9 月 20 日下午 4 点结束，拍品包括 Chanel、Louis Vuitton 和 Christian Dior 的商品；第二场拍卖会将于 9 月 27 日同一时间结束，拍品包括 Graff、Bulgari 和 Van Cleef & Arpels 的珠宝。

大约四个月前，在拍卖行 Hotlotz 被指定负责拍卖后，查获的货物被转移到该拍卖行，目前存放在樟宜的 Le Freeport 高度安全设施中。

霍特洛茨表示，这些物品此前由审计公司德勤和新加坡警察部队保管，专家们对每件物品的真伪、状况以及影响其价值的因素进行了评估。

截至周四晚间，最高出价为 39,000 新元，是一款限量版路易威登草间弥生皮革南瓜包，估价为 12,000 至 16,000 新元；而一枚 15.02 克拉的黄钻戒指的最高出价为 190,000 新元，估价为 200,000 至 300,000 新元。

其他高价值拍品中包括一条镶嵌 263 颗钻石的 30 克拉爱马仕 Kelly 钻石手链，估价为 15 万至 20 万新元，截至周四，最高出价为 8 万新元。

Lanigan O'Keeffe 表示，很难预测此案的高调性质是否会影响需求，并指出买家对物品来源的重视程度各不相同。

该案涉及的 10 名罪犯均来自中国，他们在服刑期满后已被定罪并驱逐出境。

“鉴于此案的特殊性，我们一开始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，”他说。

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