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UNDER DOCK AND KEY
Vladimir Putin’s £500million megayacht blocked from leaving marina as ‘men in suits’ probe shady links to Kremlin tyrant
VLADIMIR Putin’s £500million megayacht was this morning trapped behind gates in a marina as Italian authorities came under huge pressure to seize it.
The sickening luxury of the 459ft ship was revealed today by The Sun while ";men in dark suits" probe links to the Kremlin tyrant, with pictures showing the opulent interiors of his floating mansion.
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Scheherazade is currently docked in Marina di Carrara in western Italy with huge metal gates blocking it from leaving. Other moored vessels pin it in on either side.
Pressure is mounting on Italy to seize and sell it to benefit Ukrainians while Putin rains terror on their innocent civilians.
The British captain of the ship, Guy Bennett-Pearce, is believed to be staying onboard.
Last night lights were on on the fifth deck of the megayacht as a small crew remained hidden from view inside.
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Bennett-Pearce is fully cooperating with Italian investigators who are urgently looking into the ship’s ownership.
The former merchant seaman, 43, declined to comment on Putin’s links to the megayacht, telling The Sun: "I can't say anything because of legal confidentiality."
Two weeks ago police boarded the ship to examine its certification documents.
When asked previously whether the ship was owned by the dictator, Bennett-Pearce said: “I have never seen him. I have never met him.”
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Speaking about the Italian investigators, the captain said: “They are looking hard. They are looking at every aspect.
“This isn’t the local coppers coming down, these are men in dark suits.”
He added that he could not say any more because of a “watertight nondisclosure agreement”.
Bennett-Pearce's mum has said she'd be "pretty furious" if she found out he was working for the Russian dictator.
Debbie, 64, slammed the Russian tyrant, saying the thought of her son working for him "might make me a little bit furious".
The construction for the ship was managed by Imperial Yachts, which oversees the builds of many of the world’s megayachts.
It is registered in the Cayman islands and is legally owned by a company called Bielor Assets Ltd, domiciled in the Marshall Islands.
Mad Vlad, whose forces are bombing women and children in Ukraine, spared no expense on the six-deck Scheherazade which includes tasteless gold loo roll holders.
An ex-crew member said: “Russian people paid for it. Putin needs his head flushing down that golden throne.”
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The Scheherazade’s official cost when finished two years ago was £500million — but insiders say it could be closer to £750million.
Pictures obtained by The Sun show six decks of obscene luxury and sickening excess.
A worker who helped build it said: “Every surface is marble or gold. There are countless swimming pools, a spa, a sauna, a theatre, ballrooms, a gym, two helipads. It’s like a mini city.
“There is even a hospital which makes sense when you hear rumours of Putin being terminally ill.
“It is hard to swallow the fact that the most incredible ship in the world is owned by a man intent on bombing civilians in Ukraine.
“And it is an unimaginable amount of wealth when the average Russian’s salary is £5,000 a year, and people there are struggling to eat.”
Since September 2020 the 459ft floating palace, named after a legendary Persian queen, has been moored in Marina di Carrara in Italy.
Rumours that Putin owned the yacht have circulated since its construction.
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But its ownership was not investigated until jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny’s team released a video on Monday detailing the crew — all said to be from Russian security services.
Italian authorities have now been urged to seize the yacht. It is said to have a separate European crew only allowed on board when Putin is away.
Personal touches for the despot are evident in a judo gym which has framed pictures of black belts.
Books show Putin’s obsession with wealth, including The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc, Fashion History from the Kyoto Costume Institute and Photo Icons by Hans-Michael Koetzle.
A tiled dancefloor lowers to turn into a pool. It is thought to be one of only two on ships in the world — the other is on Putin’s yacht Graceful.
Other indulgences include a self-levelling pool table, five-metre aquarium and the biggest TV on a yacht, stretching 4.5m across an entire wall, which cost a million euros to install.
Bathrooms are adorned with gold toilet roll holders and taps.
But it is clear Mad Vlad’s vessel is not just meant for pleasure.
It boasts two helipads capable of landing 16ft military helicopters.
The ship’s highly sophisticated security system with four radars is said to be capable of shooting down drones.
Underneath one helipad there is a hangar big enough to store a helicopter along with six jet skis, five tenders, and eight Seabobs.
The former crew member added: “All over the world yachts owned by oligarchs are being seized but the Scheherazade is sitting there in plain sight in a marina in Italy. It just doesn’t seem right.”
Flight details, obtained by Navalny’s team, reportedly show the Russian crew flying together to Milan, one of the closest airports in north west Italy.
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They believe the crew were visiting the port to keep watch on the ship.
Tory MP Tom Tugendhat told The Sun last night: “Putin’s pampered nautical palace was launched with cash stolen off the Russian people and now floats off the Italian Riviera showing us all the action we should take.”
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