Italian police are investigating a $ 700 million mysterious yacht moored in Italy amid ongoing rumors that it is owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin and has been sanctioned
Following the imposition of economic sanctions on Russian oligarchs over Putin’s war against Ukraine, European countries are trying to boycott yachts and Russian oligarchs’ property.
The captain of the yacht “Scheherazade” confirmed to the New York Times that Italian investigators boarded the ship at the Di Carrera marina last Friday, demanding proof of ownership of the yacht worth $ 700 million, the locals call the yacht brother “the yacht of Putin “.
“They’re looking hard. They’re looking at every aspect,” Captain Bennett Pierce told the New York Times amid ongoing moves to seize Russian oligarchs’ yachts. “It’s not the usual cops, these are men in dark suits,” the captain is British and used the term ‘dark suit’ for detectives.
He refused to reveal the identity of the owner of the yacht, whose crew was at least 70 percent Russian. But he said he “had no choice” but to hand over documents this week revealing the owner’s identity to investigators. The yacht is one of the most expensive yachts in the world, with a swimming pool that turns into a dance floor, gold-plated installations, two decks of helicopters and many satellite dishes.
“Everyone calls it Putin’s yacht,” said one local official. “It’s a rumor that has been circulating for months.” A former crew member told the New York Times that members of the ship also called it “Putin’s yacht,” saying that when the owner was on board, it was manned by a Russian crew.
Captain Bennett-Pierce admitted that he also heard the rumor and the local nickname, but said that “the agreement on secrecy is watertight” and he is prevented from disclosing the name of the owner. However, he denied that it belonged to Putin, saying, “I have never seen him. I have never met him.”