Fiji’s foreign ministry announced Thursday that the superyacht, which authorities say is owned by a Russian oligarch who was previously sanctioned for money laundering, has been confiscated by Fiji’s law enforcement agencies.
A judge in Fiji this week allowed US authorities to seize the Amadea yacht. It is worth 325 million dollars – Although the order was temporarily suspended while the defense attorneys filed their appeal.
The Ministry of Justice said that authorities in Fiji, at the request of the United States, implemented a search order freezing the yacht, which was previously prohibited from leaving the South Pacific country.
US officials say the yacht is owned by Suleiman Karimov. A former Russian economist and politician sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2018 faced censorship from Canada, Europe, Britain and others in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Karimov made his fortune by investing in the Russian gold producer Polius, and Forbes magazine estimated his net worth at $15.5 billion.
Defense lawyers say the yacht is the property of another Russian oligarch.
In a document supporting the search warrant, the FBI wrote that there is probable reason to believe Karimov has owned Amadea since 2021. Ship flying the flag of the Cayman Islandsshut down its automated information system on February 24, the day Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.
The Justice Department said the seizure was coordinated by the KleptoCapture Task Force, which was formed in March to seize assets belonging to sanctioned Russian oligarchs. In April, the department captured a luxury yacht in Spain owned by Victor Vekselberg, He has close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the new seizure “should make clear that there is nowhere to hide the assets of individuals who violate US law. There is no place to hide the assets of criminals who aid the Russian system.”
The Ministry of Justice said so The yacht is now in Lautoka, Fiji.