Roman Abramovich, Aircraft Smuggling, New York 2022

Two luxury aircraft owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, worth over $400 million, have been seized by US authorities for violating the Export Control Reform Act and US sanctions against Russia. The seizure warrant was issued by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, which found probable cause of violations of the Export Control Reform Act and recent sanctions issued against Russia.

The two aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 and a Gulfstream G650ER, were reexported to Russia in violation of US regulations. The Boeing was flown to Russia on March 4, 2022, without a license, and is currently in the United Arab Emirates. The Gulfstream was flown to Russia on March 12 and 15, 2022, without a license, and remains in Russia. Roman Abramovich, a Russian national, owns and controls the aircraft through a series of shell companies in Cyprus, Jersey, and the British Virgin Islands.

The Boeing, bearing tail number P4-BDL and serial number 37306, is believed to be worth approximately $350 million. The Gulfstream, bearing tail number LX-RAY and serial number 6417, is believed to be worth approximately $60 million.

The seizure was carried out by Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing US sanctions and export controls against Russia. The task force was announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and is run out of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General.

US Attorney Damian Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI and the Bureau of Industry and Security in the investigation. He thanked the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and Her Majesty’s Attorney General for the Bailiwick of Jersey for their assistance in the investigation.

The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, which will continue to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine US sanctions and export controls against Russia.

Roman Abramovich, a Russian national, is the defendant in this case. He faces charges of violating the Export Control Reform Act and US sanctions against Russia. The case is being investigated by US Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York, with the assistance of the FBI, the Bureau of Industry and Security, and other agencies.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has initiated administrative proceedings against Roman Abramovich, seeking penalties of up to twice the value of the Boeing and the Gulfstream. The exact date of the seizure is March 4, 2022, and the outcome is the seizure of the two aircraft. The dollar amounts involved are $350 million for the Boeing and $60 million for the Gulfstream.

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