France confiscates villas and luxury cars of Russian businessmen
Photo: EPA

French courts have seized assets worth over €70 million belonging to two Russian businessmen as part of an investigation into possible money laundering, according to reports by AFP and Le Monde, citing their own sources.

In March, the French prosecutor's office launched an investigation into Russian businessmen Ruslan Goryukhin and Mikhail Openheim, both of whom hold Cypriot passports.

A source speaking to AFP stated that the investigation has confirmed suspicions of concealing the origin of funds used to purchase real estate.

"The investigation concerns the acquisition of real estate through loans provided by private companies registered in Cyprus or the British Virgin Islands," the Paris prosecutor's office said.

As a result, the court approved the seizure of a 22.5-hectare property in Grasse (Alpes-Maritimes department), villas in Saint-Raphaël and Grimaud (Var department), and luxury cars belonging to Goryukhin and Openheim.

The United Kingdom recently added another two Russian oligarchs to its sanctions list.