A RUSSIAN oligarch’s £38million superyacht has today been detained in London’s Canary Wharf by the UK government.
Officers from the National Crime Agency this morning stormed the 200ft cruiser Phi and told the skipper it was being impounded.
Phi is owned by an unnamed Russian businessman and boasts an “infinite wine cellar” and freshwater swimming pool.
It is the first mega-yacht to be detained in the UK under sanctions imposed because of Putin’s invasion.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Today we’ve detained a £38million superyacht and turned an icon of Russia’s power and wealth into a clear and stark warning to Putin and his cronies.
“Detaining the Phi proves, yet again, that we can and will take the strongest possible action against those seeking to benefit from connections to Putin’s regime.”
The Department for Transport said it worked with the National Crime Agency and the Border Force Maritime Investigation Bureau to identify and detain the vessel.
It refused to reveal the name of her owner, stating that he is “a Russian businessman”.
The department described Phi’s ownership as “deliberately well hidden”.
She is registered to a company based in the Caribbean dual-island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and carries a Maltese flag.
The DfT said it is “looking at a number of other vessels” and hopes its “strong stance sends an example to international partners”.
