Fashion house Louis Vuitton a suspect in Dutch money laundering investigation
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) has named the fashion house Louis Vuitton a suspect in a money laundering investigation. According to the OM, roughly 3 million euros in criminal proceeds were laundered through the Dutch branches of the French luxury brand in recent years, AD reports.
Women bought expensive bags and clothing, paid thousands of euros in cash, and shipped the products to China, the OM suspects. According to the OM, Louis Vuitton let this happen without sounding any alarms. The fashion house did not even ask its customers for identification. That is facilitating money laundering, as far as the OM is concerned.
The key figure in this case is Bei W., a Chinese woman from Lelystad. According to the OM, the woman received enormous sums of cash from an underground banker and used that money to shop at various Louis Vuitton stores in the Netherlands. She bought all kinds of luxury products under various names.
According to the OM, an employee at one of the Louis Vuitton stores helped W. with her purchases, informing her about new bag models and ensuring she never spent more than 10,000 euros at a time - the limit above which stores are obliged to report cash purchases.
During a search of Bei W.’s home in 2023, the police found a large quantity of Louis Vuitton products packed in several praxis boxes. Boxes full of designer bags were also found at the DHL sorting center, with destinations China and Hong Kong.
Bei W. appeared in court for a preliminary hearing last week. The case against her will continue sometime next year. It is unclear whether the OM will formally charge Louis Vuitton for facilitating money laundering. The fashion house was unavailable for comment, according to AD.
