A Russian yacht passing through Santo Domingo was searched Friday by local authorities at the request of American justice, said Dominican justice.
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“The public prosecutor carried out a search of the yacht Flying Fox on Friday as part of an investigation into allegations of money laundering and arms trafficking,” according to the text.
This search comes as the “United States has opened an investigation once morest several targets involved in international money laundering”, it is specified in the press release.
The United States has imposed sanctions on Russia and people linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin following the Russian army’s invasion of Ukraine.
The statement from the Dominican prosecutor’s office does not name names, but according to US magazine Forbes, the luxury yacht is owned by Russian tycoon Dmitry Kamenshchik, whose fortune is estimated at $2.1 billion.
Mr. Kamenshchik, 53, is notably the owner of Domodedovo airport in Moscow, which handles some 30.7 million travelers a year.
According to Imperial Yachts, the 136-meter-long Flying Fox has been anchored in Santo Domingo since March 21 and was inspected by US Homeland Security agents on March 25.
A tourist country renowned for its beaches, the Dominican Republic regularly attracts cruise ships or large luxury boats.