Two years after motoryacht Stefania was seized during a stopover in Northwestern Italy, the French authorities will be putting the vessel up for sale.
The 41-metre boat was confiscated at the behest of the French government following a money laundering case involving a Belarusian national. Marseille’s prosecutor’s office states that the “criminal activities” of Belarusian and Ukrainian nationals have been under investigation by the French police, with inquiries launched into “arms trafficking, drug trafficking and money laundering by an organized gang,”
Auction house De Baecque has been enlisted to facilitate the auction of Stefania, which is estimated to be worth between €10-20 million. The sale will take place from Marseille’s La Ciotat shipyard. The boat, built by shipyard Dynamiq, boasts an art deco interior and accommodates up to 10 guests onboard, assisted by a 6-member crew. “Many of the details, such as glass inlaid railings and a transparent flagpole, have never been seen on a yacht before,” said the house.
The auction date was originally scheduled for January 2024 before plans were placed on hold by the Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets (Agrasc) for technical and classification reasons.
This marks the second superyacht seized at La Ciotat in the wake of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine. The first is the 86-metre Amore Vero, which the French government believes belongs to a Russian oil tycoon who holds ties to the Putin regime.