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A superyacht owned by a sanctioned Russian billionaire has reportedly anchored in the Maldives, which doesn't have an extradition treaty with the US

• A superyacht owned by a sanctioned Russian billionaire arrived in the Maldives on Monday, AFP said.
• The White House said Saturday it could seize the yachts of sanctioned Russian oligarchs.
• The Maldives doesn't have an extradition treaty with the US.

A superyacht owned by a US-sanctioned Russian billionaire has arrived in the Maldives, Agence France-Presse reported Tuesday. It's one of several Russian-owned pleasure craft believed to be headed to the sunny island nation, which doesn't have an extradition treaty with the US .

The yacht, Clio, is owned by Oleg Deripaska , the founder of the Russian aluminum group Rusal who was sanctioned by the US in 2018 . Clio dropped anchor off Malé, the capital of the Maldives, on Monday, AFP said, citing port officials.

At least two other superyachts owned by Russian billionaires set sail for the Maldives shortly after Western nations threatened to seize assets from sanctioned oligarchs, according to data from MarineTraffic  reported by CNBC .

In a tweet Saturday, the White House said: "This coming week, we will launch a multilateral Transatlantic task force to identify, hunt down, and freeze the assets of sanctioned Russian companies and oligarchs — their yachts, their mansions, and any other ill-gotten gains that we can find and freeze under the law."

Deripaska's 73-meter Clio "was designed for long voyages around the world and self-sufficient living for several months at a time," according to its maker, Lürssen .

Deripaska was one of two Russian billionaires who spoke out on Sunday against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying in a Telegram post , "Peace is very important."

The Biden administration recently targeted 10 Russian oligarchs as part of a sweeping package of sanctions against Russia. The sanctions aim to financially cripple the country's wealthiest members in retaliation for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Insider's Avery Hartman reported on Monday that Russian billionaires were still crisscrossing the globe on private jets and yachts despite the sanctions.

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Russian oligarch’s super yacht arrives in Turkish waters

Russian billionaires are heading for Turkey to flee Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A yacht linked to a Russian aluminium tycoon arrived in a bay near the southwestern Turkish resort of Gocek on Saturday, as more Russian billionaires head for Turkey to flee Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Oleg Deripaska, founder of Russian aluminium giant Rusal, has been sanctioned by the United States, United Kingdom and European Union.

A witness saw the 73-metre (239.5 feet) yacht Clio arrive off the coast of Gocek in the Aegean coastal province of Mugla. The Cayman Islands-flagged vessel remains in the bay off Gocek.

The arrival of the Clio in Turkish waters came after two super-yachts linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who made a surprise appearance at Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Istanbul this month, docked in Turkish ports.

Turkey, a member of NATO, shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, and has good ties with both and has mediated in the continuing conflict.

Istanbul has supported Kyiv, but also opposed sanctions on Moscow, including measures against Russian billionaires.

Ankara has relied heavily on Russian energy imports and tourists and has emerged as a safe haven for Russians fleeing sanctions, and many have invested in Turkish property.

On April 4, the US government seized a mega-yacht in Spain, the first in Washington’s sanctions enforcement initiative to “seize and freeze” giant boats and other pricey assets of Russian elites.

Spain’s Civil Guard and US federal agents descended on the yacht, Tango, at the Marina Real in the port of Palma de Mallorca, the capital of Spain’s Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea.

Documents tied to the US investigation alleged that oligarch Viktor Vekselberg bought the Tango in 2011 and used shell companies to hide his interest in the vessel, the US Department of Justice said.

In early March, customs officers in France seized a yacht belonging to Rosneft oil company boss Igor Sechin as it tried to leave the Mediterranean port of La Ciotat in a breach of EU sanctions on Russian oligarchs.

Daily Sabah

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• Expat Corner

Russian oligarch Deripaska's yacht arrives in Turkish waters

A yacht linked to Russian aluminum tycoon Oleg Deripaska arrived in a bay near the southwestern Turkish resort of Göcek on Saturday, as more Russian billionaires head for Turkey, fleeing Western sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Deripaska, founder of Russian aluminum giant Rusal, has been sanctioned by the United States, European Union and Britain. He has previously called for peace.

A Reuters witness saw the 73-meter (239.5 foot) yacht Clio arrive off the coast of Göcek in the Aegean coastal province of Muğla on Saturday. The Cayman Islands-flagged vessel remains in a bay off Göcek.

The arrival of Clio in Turkish waters comes after two superyachts linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich , who made a surprise appearance at Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Istanbul this month, docked in Turkish ports.

World governments are seeking to isolate President Vladimir Putin and his allies over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which the Kremlin calls a "special military operation."

NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has good ties with both and mediates in the conflict. It has supported Kyiv, but also opposed sanctions on Moscow, including measures against Russian billionaires.

Ankara relies heavily on Russian energy imports and tourists and has emerged as a safe haven for Russians fleeing sanctions, and many have invested in Turkish property.

On Friday, a Ukrainian diplomat said Ukraine is working with Turkey for more support and understands – though it is not happy with – the reality of Ankara's parallel ties to Moscow.

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