In a joint action with US officials, Spanish police on Monday searched and seized Russian oligarch Viktor Wekselberg’s luxury yacht Tango in Mallorca. The paramilitary Guardia Civil police said Monday that there was a request for legal assistance from the United States.
The EU has not yet issued any sanctions against the 64-year-old Russian. Wekselberg, one of the richest people in Russia with billions of assets, has been on the US sanctions list since 2018 because of his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The US accuses Wekselberg of tax fraud, money laundering and forgery to evade sanctions by concealing ownership of the 90 million euro yacht, Spanish police wrote.
Property must be hidden
The registered owner of the yacht under the Cook Islands flag is a company based in the British Virgin Islands, which in turn is managed by companies in Panama to hide the real ownership. Documents and computers were seized during the search, approved by a Spanish judge.
Photos showed Spanish police officers with assault rifles standing on the pier in front of the 78-meter yacht and officers from the US Federal Police and the US Department of Homeland Security boarding.
Spain has already tied up at least three yachts over EU sanctions against Russian oligarchs over the war in Ukraine. However, the authorities emphasized that in individual cases it was difficult to identify the real owners because of the complicated company network.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
