According to court documents, the Justice Department plans to seize two aircraft belonging billionaire Russian oil magnate Roman Abramovich. These include his huge Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
According to court filings, a Manhattan federal judge signed the seizure orders for the two jets, a Gulfstream G650ER and 787, according to court filings.
According to reports, the Dreamliner is one of the most expensive private aircrafts in the world. According to the Commerce Department, it was delivered unfurnished by Boeing and customized in Europe. According to the charging letter, it is now worth $350 million.
This seizure is part “Operation KleptoCapture,” which focuses on the lawful seizing of Russian oligarch assets following Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Abramovich was sanctioned in the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Canada. However, the United States has not sanctioned him. According to The Wall Street Journal, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, had requested that President Joe Biden refrain from sanctioning Abramovich for his participation in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Journal’s report was not confirmed by NBC News.
According to the Justice Department, it is now pursuing the jets because Abramovich violated Commerce Department restrictions in February regarding export controls for aviation-related items to Russia.
According to the FBI and Commerce Department, Abramovich used both planes even after restrictions were placed. He flew the Gulfstream multiple times in March and then took the Dreamliner to Russia in March. Then, he transferred it to Dubai where it is still, according to court filings. The Gulfstream remains in Russia.
According to the filing, although it was well known that Abramovich owned the planes it took investigators time because they had to track transactions through five shell companies as flight records.
