On the search for Jho Low’s 1MDB-financed superyacht

How Thailand tackled its opium growing problem
The Equanimity’s position on June 13 (Click to enlarge)

Now that US authorities are seeking to seize a variety of assets purchased with allegedly embezzled money from Malaysia’s state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), attention has turned to the by far most valuable item: An opulent superyacht owned by Jho Low, a Malaysian business fixer close to Prime Minister Najib Razak and one of the main suspects in the 1MDB scandal.

The yacht, built in 2014 and mischievously called “Equanimity,” is huge, about 92 meters long, 15 meters wide and has a gross tonnage of 2,998 tonnes. She can carry 28 crew members and up to 18 guests, sails under the flag of the Cayman Islands and has the call sign ZGDQ,

How Thailand tackled its opium growing problem
The vessel’s eastbound sailing route on June 6 (Click to enlarge)

Her whereabouts are currently unknown. According to marine tracking sites Vessel Finder and MarineTraffic, the yacht has made the passage between Singapore and Batam eastwards on June 6 and was later located off the southern shores of Cambodia’s northern Koh Rong island west of Sihanoukville in the Gulf of Thailand on June 13.

This was three days before the US Department of Justice announced its latest action. Since then, the Equanimity hasn’t sent any identification signals.

The US authorities allege that the ship had been built and maintained using over $250 million misappropriated from 1MDB and say they can prove the respective money trail through Low’s multiple bank accounts. They are now seeking a civil forfeiture of the yacht.
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[caption id="attachment_30095" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Equanimity's position on June 13 (Click to enlarge)[/caption] Now that US authorities are seeking to seize a variety of assets purchased with allegedly embezzled money from Malaysia's state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), attention has turned to the by far most valuable item: An opulent superyacht owned by Jho Low, a Malaysian business fixer close to Prime Minister Najib Razak and one of the main suspects in the 1MDB scandal. The yacht, built in 2014 and mischievously called "Equanimity," is huge, about 92 meters long, 15 meters wide and has a gross tonnage of 2,998...

How Thailand tackled its opium growing problem
The Equanimity’s position on June 13 (Click to enlarge)

Now that US authorities are seeking to seize a variety of assets purchased with allegedly embezzled money from Malaysia’s state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), attention has turned to the by far most valuable item: An opulent superyacht owned by Jho Low, a Malaysian business fixer close to Prime Minister Najib Razak and one of the main suspects in the 1MDB scandal.

The yacht, built in 2014 and mischievously called “Equanimity,” is huge, about 92 meters long, 15 meters wide and has a gross tonnage of 2,998 tonnes. She can carry 28 crew members and up to 18 guests, sails under the flag of the Cayman Islands and has the call sign ZGDQ,

How Thailand tackled its opium growing problem
The vessel’s eastbound sailing route on June 6 (Click to enlarge)

Her whereabouts are currently unknown. According to marine tracking sites Vessel Finder and MarineTraffic, the yacht has made the passage between Singapore and Batam eastwards on June 6 and was later located off the southern shores of Cambodia’s northern Koh Rong island west of Sihanoukville in the Gulf of Thailand on June 13.

This was three days before the US Department of Justice announced its latest action. Since then, the Equanimity hasn’t sent any identification signals.

The US authorities allege that the ship had been built and maintained using over $250 million misappropriated from 1MDB and say they can prove the respective money trail through Low’s multiple bank accounts. They are now seeking a civil forfeiture of the yacht.
.



Support ASEAN news

Investvine has been a consistent voice in ASEAN news for more than a decade. From breaking news to exclusive interviews with key ASEAN leaders, we have brought you factual and engaging reports – the stories that matter, free of charge.

Like many news organisations, we are striving to survive in an age of reduced advertising and biased journalism. Our mission is to rise above today’s challenges and chart tomorrow’s world with clear, dependable reporting.

Support us now with a donation of your choosing. Your contribution will help us shine a light on important ASEAN stories, reach more people and lift the manifold voices of this dynamic, influential region.

 

 

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