POLICE will be asking French luxury goods maker Hermes the price of a Birkin, so as to determine the value of some handbags seized from a condo unit last week.

Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Amar Singh said police will send photographs of the confiscated bags to Paris.

“It is to authenticate and determine the value of the bags,” said Amar in a press conference at CCID headquarters this morning.

Hermes Birkin handbags were among 434 handbags that were seized from two units in the posh Pavilion Residences in Jalan Raja Chulan. Police searched the units in connection with the 1MDB probe.

Amar said the majority of the handbags seized during the raid was produced by handbag maker Hermes.

Amar also said police next week will begin checking the authenticity of jewellery, designer watches and other items found in the remaining 37 bags out of the 72 seized from a vacant unit at the Pavilion Residences.

“An independent evaluator will be called in to aid police in verifying the authenticity and the value of the items,” he added.

He also declined to acknowledge if gold bars were among the items seized during the searches.

“Until I get someone to verify that it is gold, I will not be able to comment,” he said. – May 25, 2018.