Amadea and Phi Rulings: In 2025, landmark court decisions underscored the resolve of authorities to clamp down on sanctioned superyachts. In the United States, a federal judge ruled that the 106m M/Y Amadea, seized in Fiji in 2022 and linked to sanctioned oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, was effectively controlled by a “straw owner,” clearing the way for its forfeiture. This decision led to Amadea being sold at auction in September 2025, marking the first U.S. sale of a yacht seized over Russia sanctions. Meanwhile in the UK, the 58.5m M/Y Phi remained detained in London despite its owner never being personally sanctioned. In a 2025 judgment, the UK Supreme Court upheld Phi’s lawful detention, reasoning that charter income from the yacht would likely flow back to Russia and boost the owner’s stature in Russian elite circles. As a result, Phi has sat frozen (and deteriorating) since 2022, unable to sail or even undergo maintenance, with insurance and class certificates lapsing. These rulings sent a clear message: even indirect sanction circumvention (such as using proxies or chartering out assets) will be challenged in court.
Recent enforcement actions
Superyacht Captain Arrested in Singapore
Enforcement efforts have extended to individuals facilitating sanctioned yachts. In December 2025, Singapore police arrested 32-year-old Nigel Tang Wan Bao Nabil, a former superyacht captain, for suspected money laundering linked to a U.S.-sanctioned criminal network. Tang had captained the 53m yacht Nonni II, owned by Chen Zhi – an alleged Cambodian scam kingpin under U.S. indictment – and held executive roles at Chen’s yacht and luxury asset firms. According to U.S. Treasury designations, Tang and two other Singaporeans were sanctioned in October 2025 for assisting Chen’s operations, which laundered billions from online fraud. Tang’s arrest highlights that captains or managers who knowingly operate yachts for sanctioned benefactors may face personal legal jeopardy across jurisdictions.
Pre-Sanctions Asset Moves – The Mrs L
Authorities are also watching for last-minute asset movements. On December 11, 2025, the 51m superyacht M/Y Mrs L abruptly departed Cannes, France, heading to Tunisia. Just four days later, the yacht’s owner, oil trader Murtaza Lakhani, was added to the EU sanctions list for allegedly helping Russia evade oil export sanctions. By moving Mrs L to Tunisia (outside EU waters) only days before his designation, Lakhani raised suspicions of a pre-emptive attempt to shield his asset from EU freezes. The vessel itself was not sanctioned, but the timing set off red flags about potential sanctions dodging. This case underscores that regulators track yacht movements around sanction announcement dates and will view sudden re-flagging or re-location as a warning sign.
Other notable 2024–2025 cases
- M/Y Tango: The 78m yacht Tango, owned by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, was the first U.S.-led yacht seizure (in Spain, 2022). U.S. prosecutors charged business associates for helping conceal Vekselberg’s ownership and financial transactions for Tango. Yet as of late 2025, Tango remains under arrest without formal forfeiture, illustrating the slow grind of legal proceedings.
- M/Y Flying Fox: This 136m yacht was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 (due to its management by Imperial Yachts, a company “aligned with the Kremlin”). The sanctions idled Flying Fox from charter service. In a surprise turn, in September 2024 the U.S. removed Flying Fox from the sanctions list, suggesting insufficient grounds to keep it blocked. The yacht promptly re-entered the charter market, though it stayed mostly in non-Western waters while sanctions on related parties persisted.
- M/Y Royal Romance: The 92m Royal Romance, owned by sanctioned Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, was seized in Croatia in 2022. Ukraine’s asset agency (ARMA) obtained a court-ordered forfeiture in 2024 and tried to auction the yacht, but a jurisdictional dispute with Croatian authorities halted the sale. As of 2025 the yacht remains in limbo, well-maintained under ARMA’s watch, with even an attempted covert “repossession” foiled, pending resolution of international legal complexities
. - M/Y Alfa Nero: The 82m Alfa Nero, long abandoned in Antigua’s harbor after its Russian owner was sanctioned, finally saw resolution in 2024. Following a failed auction in 2023 (where a high bidder pulled out over title concerns), Antigua’s government negotiated a private sale. By mid-2024 Alfa Nero was sold to a new owner for roughly $40 million, allowing the government to recoup maintenance costs and unpaid crew wages. This concluded a two-year saga of legal battles and set a precedent for governments disposing of derelict sanctioned yachts.
Compliance Lessons for Yacht Professionals
For captains, yacht managers, Trust and Corporate Service Providers (TCSPs), and other industry players, these developments carry clear lessons. Knowingly assisting sanctioned individuals, or facilitating the movement, sale, or upkeep of their yachts, is a legal and reputational minefield. Authorities worldwide are increasingly coordinated and aggressive in pursuing accomplices: what was once a blasé attitude in parts of the industry toward “grey area” clients is no longer tenable. Yacht crew and management firms have been arrested or indicted, and even reputable companies have landed on sanctions lists, leading to business shutdowns (as seen with Imperial Yachts). Moreover, a yacht caught in sanctions crossfire can languish indefinitely – unable to sail, generating no revenue, deteriorating physically, and losing insurance and class status, which ultimately harms all stakeholders.
The clear message is that robust compliance and due diligence are now paramount. Yacht professionals must proactively vet clients and ownership structures, monitor for sanction exposure, and refuse any requests to evade sanctions (such as secret sales, rapid flag changes, or port-hopping to non-cooperative jurisdictions). The legal consequences of willful non-compliance can include hefty fines, asset seizures, criminal charges, and personal sanctions, far outweighing any short-term gains from a sanctioned client’s business. Equally important are the reputational risks: being associated with sanctions-busting can irreparably damage a company’s standing and relationships in the maritime, financial, and legal communities.
In summary, the 2024–2025 period saw unprecedented enforcement actions and legal rulings targeting sanctioned superyachts, underscoring that no yacht or facilitator is beyond reach. The onus is on captains, managers, and service providers to stay vigilant and uphold international sanctions regimes.
Rosemont Yacht Services offers the expertise and guidance to help navigate these complex compliance waters, protecting clients from legal risks while preserving the integrity of their yachting operations.
Contact us to learn how we can help you safeguard your operations: rys@rosemont-yacht.com
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01/2026
Sources:
Luc Cohen – “US closer to forfeiting seized yacht as judge denies ex-Rosneft chief's claim”. Reuters, Mar 10, 2025.
Diane M. Byrne – “Seized Russian-Owned Yachts: Where, and How, They Are Now”. Megayacht News, Jan 5, 2026.
Low De Wei – “Singapore Arrests Former Captain Of Alleged Scam Kingpin Chen Zhi’s Yacht”. gCaptain/Bloomberg, Dec 18, 2025.
Bloomberg News – “Oil Tycoon’s Superyacht Left French Coast Days Before Sanctions”. Bloomberg, Dec 16, 2025.
Lili Bayer et al. – “EU imposes sanctions on oil traders with links to Russia's shipping network”. Reuters, Dec 15, 2025.
Diane M. Byrne – “Sanctioned Yacht Flying Fox Available for Charter Again—But There’s a Catch”. Megayacht News, Jan 20, 2024 (updated Oct 4, 2024).
Diane M. Byrne – “Yacht Alfa Nero Sells Again—for Good”. Megayacht News, Jul 19, 2024.
Conor Feasey – “Richard Masters avoids extradition”. SuperyachtNews, Jul 21, 2023.
(context) SuperyachtNews – “Dirty Laundry”. SuperyachtNews, Feb 13, 2023.