Sunday 8 May 2022 02:53 PM Moment Italian police storm £570m superyacht 'owned by Vladimir Putin' trends now
This is the dramatic moment Italian police moved in today on a £570 million superyacht said to belong to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Officers boarded The Scheherazade to serve paperwork to the yacht's British captain Guy Bennett Pearce, telling him it would be unable to set sail from the dry dock where it is undergoing a multi-million-pound refit.
Authorities in the Italian port of Marina di Carrara near Pisa have been trawling through paperwork in a bid to identify the vessel's ultimate owner since March.
Supporters of jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny have established The Scheherazade's Russian crew are all members of the Russian tyrant's personal protection service.
But they have since been spirited away in the dead of night and replaced by a skeleton crew of Britons who have been told they must remain onboard for the time being.
The exclusive footage obtained by MailOnline shows a launch from the Italian financial police approaching the yacht with its blue lights flashing.
Officers then board the yacht and crew member in a white polo shirt is seen walking down the gangplank to meet them and the berth is surrounded by several police cars while the paperwork is served.
A helicopter also buzzed the yacht to ensure that it didn't set sail as a large crowd of onlookers gathered to watch.
Officers boarded The Scheherazade to serve paperwork to the yacht's British captain Guy Bennett Pearce, telling him it would be unable to set sail from the dry dock where it is undergoing a multi-million-pound refit
Authorities in the Italian port of Marina di Carrara near Pisa have been trawling through paperwork in a bid to identify the vessel's ultimate owner since March
Officers boarded the yacht to serve paperwork. A helicopter also buzzed the yacht to ensure that it didn't set sail as a large crowd of onlookers gathered to watch
The yacht has been in dry dock since last summer and in previous years has also been spotted at the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi where Putin has a lavish summer holiday residence
Last week there were fears the yacht, which boasts six decks, gold plated toilet roll holders, marble bathroom fittings and two helicopter pads was about to head towards international waters and escape sanctions.
Locals said she had been taking on fuel and water and activists urged the Italian government to act and impound the vessel as part of the European Union sanctions against Putin and his unjustified war in Ukraine.
Italian authorities have not named the ultimate owner of the yacht other than to say they had 'significant business and economic ties' with 'key members of the Russian government'.
The yacht has been in dry dock since last summer and in previous years has also been spotted at the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi where Putin has a lavish summer holiday residence.
A source said: 'Officers boarded the vessel late on Friday and told the captain and the crew were not to leave pending further investigations by the Italian authorities.
'I personally was not there but I did hear back from some of the squad who commented on the level of luxury onboard - they said it was exceptionally well furnished with beautiful artwork and interior decor of the finest quality.'
Some Italian media have speculated the ultimate owner may be Eduard Khudaynatov, an oil tycoon not currently under sanctions.
Khudaynatov also owns the stunning Villa Altachiara at nearby Portofino where an Italian countess and socialite Francesca Vacca Agusta committed suicide.
He is a longtime associate of Igor Sechin, a close Putin ally and chairman of the Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft but US officials said to be working closely with Navalny supporters have linked the vessel to the Kremlin supremo.
It has also emerged that the Italian state will have to pay for the upkeep of the yacht whilst investigations are ongoing.
The Agenzia del Demanio, the Italian state property agency, will be responsible for ordinary maintenance work, custody and management fees, lawyer Tommaso
