The Louise, a luxury yacht which was used to smuggle millions of pounds worth of cocaine into the UK, has auctioned for £176,000 ($276,766).
 The Louise was moored in Southampton after being seized by the authorities |
Friday 14 saw the yacht, previously the property of a Dutch crime lord, auction alongside a plethora of items also seized by the authorities.
It had been impounded in Southampton in 2011 after border force officers and sniffer dogs discovered more than £300m ($472m) of cocaine stashed inside a hidden compartment beneath the diving platform.
A second luxury drugs boat, a collection of vintage motorcycles, a supercar, a variety of American pickup trucks and a David Chappelle print featuring model, actress and animal activist Pamela Anderson getting a spray tan also featured in the UK government auction.
Operations director at Wilson's Auctions, the Belfast-based auction house that oversaw the sale, told BBC News: "We have been collecting from government departments across the UK for months and the number of high end goods are through the roof.
"So we've the seized yachts which were in Southampton, but right here we have lines of lorries, motorcycles and even a Lamborghini sitting in the yard… the halls are packed for these auctions. Some are people wanting to buy their property back and others are people hunting for a bargain."
The Louise's previous owner has been jailed. It is believed he would have paid €1m ($1.3m) for the vessel, which was built in the Netherlands in 2002.
A spokesperson for the Home Office insisted that proceeds from the sale would be re-invested in central government.
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