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Seized superyacht auctioned

The superyacht "Stefania", which was seized in a money laundering case involving a Belarusian national fetched €10 million at auction on March 27, 2025, with the proceeds going to the French treasury. The yacht was auctioned at the shipyards of La Ciotat, east of Marseille. The vessel was estimated at between €10 and €12 million but in the end fetched only the starting price of €10 million. The superyacht had been seized in 2023 during a stopover near Genova at the request of French authorities. The French police had been investigating criminal activities of Belarusian and Ukrainian nationals. A probe had been launched into arms trafficking, drug trafficking and money laundering by an organised gang. The Belarusian national Chaslau Koniukh has been identified by French authorities as the owner of the yacht as well as of a villa on the French Riviera. An analysis of front companies and suspicious movements of funds from tax havens confirmed a desire to conceal the fraudulent origin of the funds used to purchase a sumptuous villa in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, and the superyacht. In May 2023, the villa east of Nice, worth an estimated €10 million, was placed under judicial control. In October the yacht, with a market value of €16.5 million at the time, was spotted in Italy before being seized. Another superyacht, the 'Amore Verowas', was seized at the shipyard at La Ciotat in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The yacht is linked to Igor Sechin, chief executive of Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft and close ally of President Vladimir Putin. An investigation is still ongoing.

Seized super yacht to be auctioned in La Ciotat

The 'Stefania' will be auctioned on March 27, 2025, in La Ciotat. The ship, owned by a wealthy Belarusian involved in a money laundering case, is estimated at between 10 and 12 million euros. Built in Monaco in 2021, the yacht received a prestigious award for its design before being seized as part of an international investigation. The ship was confiscated near Genoa, before being transferred to the shipyards of La Ciotat. Initially planned two years ago, its sale was postponed to allow for work. This is the largest seizure ever carried out by AGRASC, the agency responsible for managing assets seized by the courts. The agency thus assures buyers of a "serene" acquisition. The proceeds of the sale will be fully donated to the State budget.

Seized yacht to be sold at auction

The Agency for the Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets will offer the 'Stefania' for auction. Delivered in 2021 in Italy by the manufacturer Dynamiq, the ship, which is worth between 8 and 10 million Euros, was the largest vessel built by Dynamiq, a new Russian manufacturer established for 10 years in the principality of Monaco. The auction which will be organized on Jan 25, 2024 at the helipad of the Antibes yacht club. Mandated by the Agency for the Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets (Agrasc), the court commissioners of De Baecque-d'Ouince-Sarrau will offer the yacht for sale to the highest bidder. It has been seized as part of an unspecified legal case.