The Dutch division of Louis Vuitton has found itself at the center of a scandal, with local law enforcement officials suspecting the fashion house of money laundering. According to investigators, their attention was drawn to one of the buyers, a Chinese citizen. For a year and a half, the woman bought luxury bags and accessories, always paying for the goods in cash and skillfully avoiding the €10,000 threshold, above which buyers are required to report their transactions.
Between September 2021 and February 2023, the total amount of her purchases reached nearly €3 million. The prosecutor’s office notes that such actions should have aroused suspicion among store employees, but no reports were received from them. Moreover, it turned out that one of Louis Vuitton’s employees in the Netherlands was working with the customer – he informed her in advance about the arrival of goods in the desired price category.
According to the investigation, the purchased goods were subsequently sent to China and Hong Kong, and the money for their purchase came from criminal organizations. Experts emphasize that luxury goods can be a convenient means of laundering money. They are easy to purchase with cash, without disclosing the origin of the funds, and can be taken abroad, and, if necessary, resold at a profit.