Dutch criminals are increasingly laundering illegally earned money in African countries such as Uganda and Kenya. For example, they buy diamonds and gold with cash, and then export and sell the raw materials. This is what departing director Bert Langerak of the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD) tells in an interview with the AD. The FIOD will publish its annual figures on Monday.
“Africa is rich in expensive raw materials. That makes it an emerging continent to launder crime money. The gold and diamonds are sold all over the world and the proceeds are used to buy a hotel in Amsterdam, for example. We see more and more often. that crime money is laundered through goods “, Langerak tells the newspaper.
According to Langerak, it is increasingly common for people to launder or move money by investing in goods. For example, cars and agricultural machinery would also be bought and sold for similar purposes. In this way criminals mix illegally obtained money into legal money flows.
African countries would also increasingly regularly serve as markets for criminals. They then go “with a sports bag full of 500 euro notes” to Dutch growers of onions and potatoes, in order to trade these goods with African buyers.
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