A huge pile of ill-gotten gold estimated to be worth £650,000 is to be auctioned off to the public.

A total of 15 bars will be up for sale via Detling company Wilsons Auctions after the haul was seized at Heathrow Airport from a woman trying to dodge Border Force.

After an investigation it became clear the gold was being carried on behalf of a money laundering network and was seized in March 2020 under the Proceeds of Crime Act. At the time it was estimated to be worth £650,000.

National Crime Agency (NCA) commander Andy Noyes said: “We think they [the money laundering network] were attempting to move the gold through London to try and disguise their routing, and avoid the attentions of Indian law enforcement upon arrival there.

“Working with partners like Border Force, we are determined to do all we can to disrupt the flow of illicit money coming through the UK.”

On behalf of the NCA, Wilsons Auctions has been asked to sell the gold with no reserve, meaning it will go to the highest bidder.

The lot will be presented as a timed online auction starting tomorrow (Thursday) at 11am GMT and will be open to registered bidders around the world for 24 hours. Bidding will be online only.

Wilsons Auctions’ government contracts manager, Mark Woods, said: “We are delighted to be managing the sale of more high value assets on behalf of the NCA.

“With gold being an extremely popular means of global investment combined with the aspect of this gold being sold with no reserve, the auction being entirely online and open to participants across the world will make it extremely convenient to bidders.”