The Irina VU yacht captain is among four individuals under arrest in Croatia for arranging her disappearance from a marina, in violation of sanctions. Police say the same individuals had her replaced with a similar yacht, to elude detection.
Irina VU, a Sunseeker Predator 115 (sistership pictured), reportedly belongs to Irina Viner, a rhythmic gymnastics coach and the former wife of Alisher Usmanov. Usmanov is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The European Union, United Kingdom, and United States all placed him under sanctions related to the invasion of Ukraine. The megayacht was frozen in July and therefore prohibited from departing the marina, in Betina. Irina VU was also in drydock there. Notably, AIS tracking reveals she left the marina on October 6, arriving in Turkey a few days later. Croatian authorities, however, were unaware of the departure until local media reported it last month. The media discovered a similar Sunseeker was in her place in Betina as well.
This week, Split police questioned eight individuals. They pressed criminal charges against the Irina VU yacht captain and three crewmembers police say he engaged to assist. A police spokesperson tells Croatian Radio Television that the captain knew about the international restrictions. The spokesperson further says the captain arranged for two additional people to be passengers aboard. Altogether, the captain, the three crewmembers, and the two passengers departed Betina’s port and entered international waters without issue.
All four individuals under arrest deny having any official notice that the yacht was frozen. Additionally, they say no seal related to an arrest was on Irina VU. Usmanov’s press service says he has no connection to the yacht’s disappearance and is not the owner.
The matter is now in the hands of the Municipal State Attorney’s Office in Šibenik. Meanwhile, numerous questions remain as to how a yacht under sanctions, and in drydock, was able to depart the country. She needed clearance from the police, the harbormaster, and customs.
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