Money laundering potato and onion exporters investigated

Dutch potato and onion traders have accepted almost €4 million in cash over the past 150 years. According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), they have therefore cooperated in large-scale money laundering practices. The Public Prosecution Service suspects that the problem is on a larger scale.

The Public Prosecution Service write that underground bankers and money couriers to deliver tens of millions of euros to Dutch traders. These merchants take shopping bags full of this money. Then the onions and potatoes were shipped to West Africa. According to the Public Prosecution Service, this means that they are probably collaborating in the laundering of criminal money.

Suspicious payments
A combined team of the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD) and the National Criminal Investigation Service conducted searches this week and last at 3 agricultural traders in Zeeland and North Holland. This after banks and accountants reported the suspicious transactions.

Among other things, the administration of the companies was seized during the searches. The investigative team also requested information from the accountants of the companies. The traders gave the reason that they accepted the money, because there are no well-functioning banking systems in the African countries concerned. Banks accepted the cash because it had actually been used to buy onions and potatoes.

Violating money laundering law
Nevertheless, the traders probably violated the money laundering law. Under that law, cash payments of $10.000 or more must be reported. Once the investigation has been completed, the directors of the companies will be questioned. The Public Prosecution Service emphasizes that the companies may also have cooperated unconsciously.

The Public Prosecution Service states that the Netherlands is interesting for money laundering criminals, because there is no limit on payments with cash. This limitation does exist in many other EU Member States.

Anne-Jan Doorn

Anne Jan Doorn is an arable expert at Boerenbusiness. He writes about the various arable farming markets and also focuses on the land and energy market.

aj.doorn@boerenbusiness. Nl

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