Luxury yacht seized in $5.7b money-laundering case
AN ENORMOUS luxury yacht and its crew — including two Australians — has been seized by police in Bali for having alleged links to an international moneylaundering scheme used to fund Hollywood films and lavish lifestyles.
Bali police have confirmed the 29-strong crew of a luxury yacht impounded yesterday included two Australians.
They’re now part of an international investigation being led by the FBI into a money-laundering scheme, which was also said to have funded parties in Las Vegas and mansions in the US.
FBI officials allege the large, modern vessel named Equanimity had been attempting to evade them in Southeast Asian waters to avoid questioning over a $US4.5 billion ($A5.7 billion) fraud case.
The Wall Street Journal reports the 91m yacht, complete with helipad, had disabled its automated identification system when passing between the Philippines and Singapore to avoid detection.
It is alleged the yacht had been bought with $US250 million ($A322 million) of the money allegedly diverted from Malaysian government sources through US financial institutions.
FBI and Bali investigators boarded the Equanimity after it anchored off Nusa Dua, a five-star hotel enclave.
Bali police say they have questioned the Equanimity’s captain and some of the crew. The FBI say the captain, a South African, is now a suspect in the fraud case.
The crew reportedly remains aboard the yacht and are not under arrest. How long their vessel will remain detained is unclear.
The US Justice department claims the Equanimity is owned by 36-year-old Malaysian financier Jho Low, who is believed to have been part of the scheme to siphon billions out of a Malaysian investment fund between 2009 and 2015. His whereabouts are unknown.
It claims the money has been used to fund movies, throw lavish parties in Las Vegas and buy luxury homes.