UK Citizen Arrested In Spain Paid $870,000 To Manage Russian Oligarch's Yacht - Police

A UK citizen who was arrested at Madrid airport at the request of the US authorities received about 800,000 euros ($869,000) from a sanctioned Russian businessman, supposedly Viktor Vekselberg, for managing his yacht, the Spanish Civil Guard said on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2023) A UK citizen who was arrested at Madrid airport at the request of the US authorities received about 800,000 Euros ($869,000) from a sanctioned Russian businessman, supposedly Viktor Vekselberg, for managing his yacht, the Spanish Civil Guard said on Monday.

Last week, US authorities charged Russian and UK nationals Vladislav Osipov and Richard Masters with money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the US government for allegedly facilitating a sanctions evasion scheme for Vekselberg. The US also requested Spain arrest Masters for the purposes of extradition.

"The detained British citizen is the owner and administrator of a commercial company located in Palma de Mallorca (Balearic Islands) and engaged in the maintenance and provision of administrative services for yachts. Among his clients and managed vessels was a yacht owned by a Russian citizen who is prohibited from operating in the US markets, and with financial and commercial US structures.

This yacht was used by a Russian citizen and his family," Spain's largest police force said in a statement.

The detainee knew about the sanctions and prohibitions against this person, and in order to circumvent them and not arouse suspicion, he gave the yacht a pseudonym, the statement added.

According to the statement, the US government valued the company's yacht maintenance services at more than $485,000. At the same time, the Civil Guard said that the detainee and his company earned about 800,000 euros for operating the yacht.

Vekselberg's Tango superyacht, valued at $90 million, was seized in Spain in April at the request of the US authorities.