Four men and a woman were arrested in a major money laundering investigation by the FIOD in July and August. The FIOD only released this on Tuesday. The suspects are men aged 53, 46, 42 and 34 and a 21-year-old woman.
(Image from archive)
Facilitate
They come from Amsterdam, Badhoevedorp and Ommen. During searches of twelve homes and a business premises in Amsterdam, Badhoevedorp and Ommen, real estate, domestic and foreign bank accounts, crypto wallets, physical and digital administration, cash, several telephones, bank cards, designer goods, two cars and a scooter were seized.
The group is suspected of money laundering. The 42-year-old man is also suspected of sales tax fraud. The FIOD and the functional public prosecutor’s office believe that the group was also facilitating criminal money laundering for others.
Out of sight
The suspects had several bank accounts in the Netherlands and in several other countries. Their aim was probably to deliberately keep money out of sight of the Dutch authorities and investigative services.
The justice department believes that the suspects received payments on those accounts that had no commercial purpose or consideration. The bank accounts also showed unclear or unverifiable transactions with descriptions that, according to the FIOD, concealed the real reason for the transfer.
Unexplained power
Amounts were also deposited in cash into the accounts, which were then withdrawn in cash or transferred to other bank accounts of suspects and third parties. They probably also used false invoices. The FIOD suspects that the transfers and cash deposits have a criminal origin.
The FIOD investigation team also suspects that the suspects have significant unexplained assets. The incoming and outgoing transactions on suspects’ accounts and their assets are not in proportion to the income known to the tax authorities.
