Superyacht abandoned in the Caribbean to be sold to 'highest bidder' if not claimed by owner
11 March 2023, 01:12 | Updated: 11 March 2023, 01:37
A multi-million pound superyacht abandoned in the Caribbean is set to be sold "to the highest bidder" if it isn't claimed by its owner, the government of Antigua and Barbuda has said.
The US Department of the Treasury has linked The Alfa Nero to Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev, whom the department says is a "close associate" of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Guryev, 62, made a $10billion fortune from a Russian fertiliser firm, but was sanctioned by the US, the UK and the EU from last year.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, several Russian oligarchs have been hit with sanctions by various countries, with bank accounts frozen, and assets including superyachts seized.
It led to some oligarchs moving their yachts into no extradition waters to prevent them being impounded.
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Guryev has denied being the owner of the super yacht and as with many multi-million-pound pleasure vessels, it is owned through a complex offshore structure.
The Alfa Nero was abandoned in Falmouth Harbour, on the southern coast of Antigua, in February 2022, soon after the Ukraine invasion began.
Officials on the island say the auction is being held in order “to prevent a future hazard since the luxury vessel is not being maintained by its owner".
The government of Antigua and Barbuda has said that any potential owner has 10 days to claim the yacht, or it will be auctioned off.
“If the owner fails to claim the vessel within that time period, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda will sell it to the highest bidder," the office of the Prime Minister said.
The vast private motoryacht was built in 2007 and has has a number of opulent features, including a 40ft infinity pool, a jacuzzi, and a gym.
