sales of seized property to criminals hit record highs

In Martinique, connoisseurs gather in the marina of Fort-de-France. On the pontoon or by telephone, everyone is gathered for the auction of seized goods sold by a state agency, Agrasc. In a secure room of the agency, nearly 300 properties will be sold. In cases, we find luxury watches from an emblematic brand, “for 150,000 euros”reveals Amal El Manouzi, sales commissioner.

487 million euros seized in 2022

Clearly visible luxury is the sin of traffickers and bandits. Leather goods, designer jackets, watches bearing diamonds, the goods seized are often ostentatious, but not only that, there are also gold collector’s items, whose intrinsic value continues to increase. Agrasc also sells all types of goods, everyday objects, such as console controllers or food processors. In 2022, the agency seized 487 million euros which go to the state budget or to missions to fight against drugs and pimping. If a suspect is released, his money is of course returned to him, under certain conditions: if they have no tax debt for example.