A Russian oligarch's 267-foot super yacht — outfitted with a hair salon and infinity pool — has been 'abandoned' in the Caribbean and could be sold off

 The Antigua and Barbuda government wants the $81 million Alfa Nero superyacht linked to Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev out of its harbor.

(Antigua and Barbuda is an independent Commonwealth country comprising its 2 namesake islands and several smaller ones. Positioned where the Atlantic and Caribbean meet, it's known for reef-lined beaches, rainforests and resorts.

The country consists of two major islands, Antigua and Barbuda, which are approximately 40 km (20 mi) apart, and several smaller islands.

The permanent population is approximately 97,120

(2019 estimates), with 97% residing in Antigua.

In 1493, Christopher Columbus surveyed the island of Antigua.)

In a notice last Tuesday, the government of the Caribbean nation declared the vessel

Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, said last Monday that his government received offers of over $50 million for the 267-foot yacht, according

to the Daily Observer, a local media outlet. The ship has a gym, hair salon, an infinity pool, and other amenities.

A legal representative for Guryev told Bloomberg on Tuesday that the vessel does not belong to the tycoon. "As we have informed the Antiguan authorities, Mr Guryev neither owns nor controls the Alfa Nero and has simply used the vessel from time to time under commercial charter since 2014," said the representative, per Bloomberg.

But, with the luxury vessel running up a large bill, Antigua and Barbuda authorities still plan to sell it if no one claims its ownership by March 31, Bloomberg reported, citing the Antigua port manager.

The authorities intend to use the yacht's sale proceeds to pay down a $500,000 debt it owes to the Antigua Yacht Club Marina for fuel, per Daily Observer. The rest is to be used toward the development of Antigua and Barbuda.

PM Browne said in a March 16 Facebook post that the vessel was also running out of money to feed its crew. It has been in the Caribbean nation for more than 18 months, he said.

Aside from maintenance cost, the yacht also poses a risk to Antigua harbor, Browne told the Daily Observer last Monday.

"Anything could go wrong. Maybe some of the doors could open and start to take on water and it sinks," Browne said. He added the Alfa Nero could also be uninsured and this could cause issues for the harbor.

"We are talking about billions of dollars of assets in that harbor. And you can imagine if that vessel was to catch fire what will happen," Browne said, according to the Daily Observer.

Falmouth Harbour, where the Alfa Nero is moored, is a hub for luxury yachts, according to Boat International.

The US Department of the Treasury has linked the Alfa Nero super to Guryev, who the department said is a "close associate" of President Vladimir Putin.

Guryev — who is the founder of fertilizer company PhosAgro and has a net worth of $10.1 billion — has been sanctioned by the US, the UK, and the EU for his links to the Kremlin amid the Ukraine war.

Ref: A Russian oligarch's 267-foot super yacht — outfitted with a hair salon and infinity pool — has been 'abandoned' in the Caribbean and could be sold off (businessinsider)