Seized yacht Kahu will go on sale in 24-hour online auction
A luxury yacht that was being used to smuggle over two tonnes of cocaine, worth around £160m, into the UK will be sold at auction later this month. The 120ft yacht Kahu is going up for sale in a timed online auction through Wilson’s with bidding starting on 27 April at 3pm GMT.
The auction is open to the public and Kahu will be sold unreserved with potential bidders having a 24-hour window of opportunity to bid online before the auction closes at 3pm GMT.
According to the National Crime Agency (NCA) report, more than two tonnes of cocaine were seized and six men arrested after a sting operation on Kahu in September 2021.
The luxury Jamaican-flagged yacht was sailing from the Caribbean when it was seized in the English Channel and brought to Plymouth, UK, where law enforcement discovered the haul of Class A drugs.
Kahu is currently berthed at Torquay Marina. April’s auction has been instructed on behalf of the National Crime Agency – an open day for viewings will be held on 20 April, strictly by appointment only.
Kahu was built by Whangarei Engineering & Construction in New Zealand at its Whangarei shipyard and originally served as a New Zealand navy patrol vessel before being converted into a yacht by Fitzroy Yachts in 2011.
The 120ft expedition yacht was last refitted in 2012 and comfortably cruises at 10 knots, with a maximum speed of 13 knots and a range of up to 5,000 nautical miles.
Wilsons Auctions’ government contracts manager, Mark Woods says: “We are delighted to manage the sale of this high-profile asset. It is reported that around £160m worth of cocaine was found on board MY Kahu and that is why the vessel is now being offered for sale by auction.
“We are proud to facilitate auctions on behalf of our government and law enforcement agency clients. We play an important role in realising a large quantity of assets on behalf of these clients and in recent years, these auctions have seen us responsible in returning £130 million back into the public purse.
“The online element of the auction is extremely convenient for bidders around the world to register and get involved. This will be an exciting one to watch.”
According to Plymouth Live, of the six men accused of smuggling the drugs on board Kahu in March 2022 five Nicaraguans were cleared of the charges. Andrew Cole, aged 33, of Stockton-on-Tees has already pleaded guilty to smuggling the narcotics. He is in custody and will stand alone to be sentenced to years in jail at a date to be fixed.
