By AML Intelligence Correspondent
SUSPICIOUS Transaction Reports from the Dutch banking sector to the FIU led to 17 raids and two arrests for money laundering in Rotterdam, police said.
The investigation led by the Fiscal Information and Investigative Service (FIOD) is now focussing on several buildings purchased with suspected criminal money and fast motorboats.
“It started with a number of valuable reports from the banking sector and resulted in 17 searches and two arrests. We did a complex preliminary analysis from FIU-the Netherlands, the FIOD extended this to a nice criminal investigation,” a researcher at FIU-Netherlands said.
The main suspect is a 34-year-old man from Rotterdam. The other suspect is a 51-year-old man. Both suspects have several legal entities in their name.
The main suspect bought various properties in the Netherlands and Belgium through his legal entities with suspected criminal money. The payments for these properties were made by legal entities that are indirectly linked to the 51-year-old suspect who had no direct interest in the purchase of the property.
Furthermore, suspicious legal entities have bought material and engines for the production of so-called RHIBS (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat). “These are very fast motorboats that are widely used for the smuggling of narcotics or human trafficking. Again, the payments for the purchased boats were made by third parties {using a frontman] … and not the legal entities that had purchased the boats,” the FIOD specialist fincrime investigation agency said.
The FIOD in a statement said the criminal investigation began after it received information from the FIU.
It is suspected that the dirty money obtained to facilitate the purchases was laundered.
The FIOD raids took place on Monday (Dec 18) with the arrest of the two suspect and 17 searches in the Netherlands and Belgium in two criminal investigations. “Two men aged 34 and 51 from Rotterdam were arrested. They were transferred to police stations for questioning. Multiple arrests are not excluded. The two are suspected of money laundering,” the agency said.
Their homes have been searched as well as several business premises and homes in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Woerden and The Hague. In addition, documents, telephones, computer, bank accounts, real estate, a boat, cash money, silver and cars were seized.
The inquiry is being led by the Public Prosecutor.
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