Luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton has been named a suspect in a Dutch money laundering investigation, according to the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM). The OM alleges that

approximately €3 million in illicit funds were laundered through the brand's Dutch retail locations in recent years, as reported by AD.

Authorities suspect that women purchased high-end bags and clothing from Louis Vuitton stores in the Netherlands, paid large sums in cash, and then shipped the items to China. The OM claims Louis Vuitton allowed these transactions to proceed without raising red flags or requesting customer identification, which it considers a failure to comply with anti-money laundering regulations.

At the center of the case is Bei W., a Chinese national residing in Lelystad. Investigators believe she received substantial amounts of cash from an underground banking network, which she then used to make luxury purchases at various Louis Vuitton stores, often under different names.

The OM also claims that a Louis Vuitton employee assisted Bei W., tipping her off about new product releases and helping her avoid exceeding the €10,000 cash transaction threshold—above which retailers are legally required to report the sale.

In a 2023 search of Bei W.'s residence, police reportedly discovered numerous Louis Vuitton items packed in large boxes, ready for shipment. Additional designer goods were found at a DHL sorting center, bound for addresses in China and Hong Kong.

Bei W. appeared in court last week for a preliminary hearing. Her trial is expected to continue next year. As for Louis Vuitton, it remains unclear whether the OM will press formal charges against the fashion house. The company has not issued a public statement on the matter, AD reports. Photo by Ceescamel, Wikimedia commons.