Italy police seize assets from architect linked to Putin over alleged tax rule breach - source

ROME - Italy's tax police have seized assets worth over 141 million euros ($144 million) from an architect linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin over allegedly breaking Italian tax rules, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The tax police sent a statement earlier on Wednesday saying it had seized the assets from a "well-known professional" in Brescia, a town in northern Italy, citing alleged tax offences. It declined to name the person when contacted by Reuters.

The source said the assets belonged to Lanfranco Cirillo, who had designed a grand estate on the Black Sea for Putin.

A lawyer for Cirillo did not respond when contacted by Reuters. ($1 = 0.9822 euros)