Dominican Republic confirms investigation into luxury yacht linked to Russian tycoon

A senior Dominican official said Monday that the situation around the luxury yacht “Flying Fox,” anchored in the port of Santo Domingo and linked to a Russian oligarch, is under investigation by the Public Ministry and a government agency.

“That (relating to the yacht) is being handled by the Public Ministry (the Attorney General’s Office) and (the General Directorate of) Customs,” the executive branch’s legal consultant, Antoliano Peralta, told reporters.

Peralta Romero assured that the reports available to him assure that the State institutions are handling “correctly” and within the “framework of the law ” what is related to the yacht.

“The legal consultant and the President of the Republic (Luis Abinader) do not interfere in matters concerning the Public Ministry. I understand that the Public Ministry and Customs are handling that (…) it is an issue that Customs is handling,” he insisted.

Last Friday, agents from the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office visited the yacht.

According to videos broadcast by local media, the US agents were accompanied by officers from various Dominican agencies during their inspection visit.

The ship under investigation is one of the most luxurious pleasure yachts in the world. According to Forbes magazine, it belongs to Russian businessman Dmitry Kamenshchik, owner of Moscow’s Domodedovo airport.

A source from a Dominican security agency confirmed to Efe that the investigation of the yacht took place that day, which has been anchored at the Don Diego terminal in the port of Santo Domingo since last Monday, after having passed through the tourist city of La Romana. In the east of the country.

As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United States approved various sanctions that would affect businessmen close to President Vladimir Putin, many of the owners of luxury boats.