Italian authorities on Friday night confiscated a superyacht worth several million pounds, which allegedly belongs to Vladimir Putin amid speculation that it is about to leave the marina where it has been moored for months.
Daniele Franco, Italy’s economy minister, signed a decree late Friday night freezing every movement in Scheherazade, a huge ship that boasts mineral springs, cinemas and helicopter pads and is estimated to cost £ 500 million.
The minister acted after the Guardia di Finanza, Italy’s financial and customs police, said they had found evidence that the ship was linked to elements in the Russian government.
Without naming names, they said there were links between the yacht and the Russians who were affected by EU sanctions, a list that includes Putin.
There were “significant economic and business ties” between the ship and “elements of the Russian government”, including Russians who have been under sanctions since the start of the war in Ukraine, financial police said.
Based on these findings, Mr Franco decided to order the freezing of the asset.
“The ship, which flies under the flag of the Cayman Islands and has docked in Marina di Carrara, has been under surveillance by the relevant authorities for some time,” police said.
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