THE HAGUE, April 6. /TASS/. The Dutch authorities have tightened the customs noose around 14 Russian-owned yachts, banning them from leaving the Netherlands, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in a letter to parliament on Wednesday.

According to him, the move concerns 12 yachts under construction, including superyachts over 35 meters long, and two yachts undergoing technical maintenance. The vessels cannot leave the Netherlands and be delivered or handed over to their owners due to sanctions on Russia.

The Dutch Broadcasting Foundation, in turn, reported that the country’s customs authorities are continuing inspections. Further probes are underway into 15 yacht manufacturers and five sellers.

On Monday, former Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok was appointed to coordinate the country’s efforts to implement and control compliance with the sanctions against Russia. He is responsible for coordinating the activities of Dutch ministries, government agencies and organizations aimed at freezing Russian assets, blocking financial transactions and confiscating movable and immovable property.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation based on a request from the heads of the Donbass republics. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans to occupy Ukrainian territories and the goal was to demilitarize and denazify the country. In response, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and a number of other countries announced sanctions on Russian individuals and entities.