Lawyer shows off Chanel, Dior haul from Singapore's $2.3B money laundering auction

Debbie Brittany Lim, a lawyer, showcased a collection of luxury items she acquired from a Singapore auction that raised $2.3 billion, according to AsiaOne. Lim bid on the items out of curiosity and ended up winning six lots, including two Chanel brooches, two Chanel necklaces, a Dior vanity case, and a limited-edition Dior bag. In her Instagram post, Lim joked that she was contributing to Singapore's government by adding to the Consolidated Fund while acquiring a piece of the nation's history.

Most of the Chanel items arrived without their original boxes, giving the impression they were seized by police. One Chanel necklace came boxed, suggesting it had not been used. Lim was particularly excited about the Dior in Lights bag from the Cruise 2021 collection, joking that the bidding nearly caused her to have a heart attack.

She was also interested in a limited-edition Lady Dior bag but lost out to other bidders. The auction was conducted by Hotlotz, a local auction house appointed by Deloitte to sell 15 online auctions of over 1,000 seized luxury items between September 2026 and May 2027. Proceeds from the auctions are paid into the Consolidated Fund, which serves as the government's bank account.

Hotlotz's first sale of handbags and accessories took place on September 20, with all 337 lots sold for over S$1.1 million ($860,000). Chanel accounted for 219 of the lots. Additionally, four forfeited condominium units were sold at an auction by real estate agency SRI on September 23, and two other auctions held by Edmund Tie & Company and Knight Frank on September 17 ended without a sale.

The assets were seized during Singapore's largest money laundering case, which came to light after islandwide raids on August 15, 2023, leading to the arrest of 10 foreigners. All have since been convicted and deported.