The first Russian-owned superyacht in U.K. waters has been seized, officials said Tuesday.
The superyacht, Phi, owned by a Russian national, was served with a detention notice on Tuesday by the National Crime Agency while docked in London, the agency said in a press release.
“Today we’ve detained a £38m superyacht and turned an icon of Russia’s power and wealth into a clear and stark warning to Putin and his cronies,” British Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps said.
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The ownership of the superyacht was “deliberately well hidden,” carrying Maltese flags and registered in the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis, officials said.
The yacht is the third-largest built by Dutch shipbuilders Royal Huisman and contains an “infinite wine cellar” and patented freshwater swimming pool.
£38 million superyacht, Phi, has been detained in Canary Wharf.
Officers from the National Crime Agency’s Combating Kleptocracy Cell have this morning served a detention notice on a superyacht owned by a Russian national.
Full story ➡️ https://t.co/OiX4Ia1l7d pic.twitter.com/ozkYA7uwFw
— National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) March 29, 2022
“Detaining the Phi, proves, yet again, that we can and will take the strongest possible action against those seeking to benefit from Russian connections,” Shapps said.
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Tuesday’s seizure is part of an international effort by Western leaders sanctioning Russian oligarchs and their assets to inflict financial pain on Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine. Despite the efforts, Russia’s currency rebounded to its highest monthly levels on Tuesday.
The Russian national who officials identified as owning the yacht was not named.
