Yacht used in bid to illegally smuggle Picasso painting arrives in Greenock

A YACHT which was used by its Spanish billionaire owner in an attempt to illegally smuggle a Picasso painting has arrived at Greenock's James Watt Dock.

Adix sailed into the marina this afternoon having travelled from the Isle of Arran.

She was acquired by Jaime Botin, the former vice chairman of Santander Bank, in 1989.

In January 2020, Botin was convicted of trying to smuggle a Picasso he had bought in 1977 abroad on board the yacht to sell at an auction in London.

The work, titled Head of a Young Woman, was seized from the vessel in Corsica in 2015.

(Image: George Munro)

Botin had previously been denied a permit to take it outside of Spain.

BBC News reported that he was sentenced to 18-months in prison and fined $58 million for the offence.

Adix was built by Astilleros de Mallorca in 1984 and measures almost 65 metres in length – making it one of the largest sailing yachts constructed since the 1930s.

Valued at around $25 million, she can accommodate up to 10 guests and 14 crew members.