The seizure of the superyacht M/Y Tango was meant to symbolise the strength of international sanctions. Four years on, it exposes the legal, financial and operational risks of poorly managed seized maritime assets.

Moored in Barcelona for three years, the superyacht Meridian A has become a textbook case of sanctions circumvention. Behind nominee owners and offshore layers lies a deeper issue: Europe’s inability to turn asset freezes into effective confiscation.

Frozen under international sanctions, the superyacht Royal Romance has become a €20 million-a-year liability. Once intended to support Ukraine’s war effort, it now exposes Europe’s legal deadlocks, institutional paralysis and the shortcomings of maritime justice in dealing with frozen assets.