Among the items authorities want to sell off are uncut diamonds, platinum ingots, and a ruby-inlaid Rolex watch
A French customs officer hands over a counterfeit luxury bag to his colleague on July 11, 2022, Cannes, France © AFP / Valery Hache/AFP
Historic coins, uncut diamonds, and platinum bars – these are just some of the luxury items being put up for auction by the French finance ministry. All the goods are said to be contraband seized by the country’s customs service.
On offer are 350 lots worth approximately €1 million ($980,430). More than 1,200 prospective buyers have already signed up for the auction that kicks off on Friday at 9:30 GMT.
Among the items presented on the Hotel Drouot auction house’s website are 14 platinum ingots weighing 1kg each with a starting price of €22,000. The bars were reportedly impounded after the luggage of two UK-bound passengers was searched.
The catalogue also includes historic British gold coins, and a collection of uncut diamonds, seized at Paris airports.
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There are also several pricey watches, including a gold Rolex inlaid with 40 rubies estimated at €15,000 as well as a stack of designer handbags.
A Volkswagen Golf which was used in an attempt to haul some 480kg of hashish across the Spanish-French border is also up for grabs.
More than 2,000 bottles of Grey Goose vodka are listed with a starting price of €10,000. However, only professional buyers will be able to lay their hands on the upmarket spirit, with the auction organizers citing security and legal reasons.
Not all the items on offer fall under the category of ‘luxury goods,’ there are semi-trailer trucks and laptops in the catalogue too.
Commenting on the auction, the finance ministry praised the customs service for its daily battle “against all illegal traffic that threatens our territory and our society in order to protect citizens and the environment.”
The officials added that the sale reflected the sheer diversity of impounded goods.
