Gardaí Auction €1.4M Gold Seized in 2024 Dublin Drug Bust

An Garda Síochána is auctioning €1.4 million in gold bullion seized from a Kazakhstani drugs gang operating in Ireland. The online auction, run by Wilsons Auctions, opened at 1pm on Friday and closes at 1pm on Monday. Bidders must register and provide proof of identity. The net proceeds will be returned to the State.

The gold was seized during intelligence-led searches in Dublin in 2024 by the Dublin Crime Response Team. During the operation, gardaí also found €460,000 in cash and about €210,000 worth of cocaine and ecstasy at locations in Lucan, Dundrum, and Ballsbridge. The gold bars and coins weighed 18kg.

The chief suspect, Farhats Bahtijevs, aged 55, was arrested in 2024 but skipped bail and is believed to have returned to Kazakhstan. His wife, Svethana Bahtijeva (39), and mother-in-law, Jelene Idele (59), were jailed for their role in the gang's operations. Bahtijeva received a five-year sentence, and Idele received a four-year suspended sentence.

Det Insp Ken Holohan stated that recovering the proceeds of crime is key to disrupting organized criminal activity and that this auction ensures seized assets are processed transparently. The gold auction does not involve the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab), as the assets were seized during a drugs investigation.