Fiji Islands police say they have been called in for a “criminal case” related to superyacht Amadea, believed to be owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, which is facing Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
According to police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho, the luxury yacht had left from Mexico or South America and had docked in Lautoka, Fiji, on Tuesday, without having obtained the green light from customs officials.
A request for assistance in connection with a criminal case was made to the Fijian government by a “foreign counterpart”, he said, without specifying from whom this request came or its exact nature.
Police are investigating whether there have been any breaches of customs or immigration rules, or whether the yacht is involved in possible drug, arms or money laundering cases.
“Our investigations will cover all of these areas. If these things are to be declared, they must be. There are clear and precise guidelines that arriving yachts must adhere to.”
The Amadea is worth 325 million dollars, according to the specialized site superyachtfan.com, which lists luxury ships.
Several yacht tracking sites list Suleiman Kerimov as the owner of the Amadea, but this could not be independently confirmed.
Mr. Kerimov is the target of sanctions by the United States and the European Union because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.