The Dutch branch of Louis Vuitton, which also sells furniture and home accessories, is being prosecuted for laundering criminal money. According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), the company did not take sufficient measures to prevent customers from laundering millions of euros in cash through the purchase of expensive bags. Besides Louis Vuitton BV, three Chinese people are also on trial, including a sales employee of the shop and two customers who bought large quantities of bags and clothes.
© Louis Vuitton
The investigation shows that between September 2021 and February 2023, suspect Bei W. from Lelystad converted around three million euros in cash, obtained from an underworld banker, into luxury products at Louis Vuitton branches in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The bags, averaging around €2,500 each, were sent in moving boxes to China to be sold there, so the proceeds appeared to come from legitimate trade. Another suspect helped her do this and bought nearly 700,000 euros worth of goods.
According to the prosecution, the employee V. was involved in the conspiracy and informed Bei W. via chats about new stock and warned her on purchases above 10,000 euros, an amount where notifications are mandatory. In Bei W.'s absence, he even bought bags of cards on which she had deposited money. A third suspect helped with shopping and kept records.
The prosecution based the case on bags and moving boxes found, plus overheard chat messages. This type of trafficking, also known as trade-based money laundering, is more often used to launder money through expensive goods.
Louis Vuitton offers a range of luxury furniture including chairs, sofas, tables and lamps designed by renowned designers such as Marcel Wanders, Patricia Urquiola and the Campana Brothers. There is also the special collection Objets Nomades, which consists of travel-inspired design objects and limited-edition furniture, often with striking shapes and unusual materials.
Source: Volkskrant
