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Louis Vuitton branch in the Netherlands fined 500 thousand euros due to Albanian "banker" of crime

2026-02-15 17:42:14Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Louis Vuitton branch in the Netherlands fined 500 thousand euros due to Albanian
Louis Vuitton

Dutch prosecutors have fined the Dutch branch of luxury brand Louis Vuitton 500,000 euros for violating the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act.

The well-known brand name emerged as a suspect during a wide-ranging money laundering investigation led by the Dutch National Public Prosecutor's Office.

Over a long period of time, this company had not properly checked the identities of customers who repeatedly made large cash purchases.

According to Dutch media , the investigations stemmed from a case involving a convicted underworld banker, 53-year-old Thanas Bako, a Greek citizen but originally from Saranda, who was found to have large amounts of criminal proceeds and was accused of money laundering.

Prosecutors said a 36-year-old woman from Lelystad then used that money to buy luxury items at stores, including Louis Vuitton, using multiple aliases.

Authorities suspect that between August 2021 and February 2023, the woman, identified as Bei W., spent over 2 million euros in illicit money. She allegedly shipped the luxury handbags to China in cardboard boxes to resell, disguising the proceeds as legitimate trade.

"This practice, known as 'Daigou' trade, is a method of transferring criminal money through luxury items. Evidence includes chat messages, receipts and security camera footage," prosecutors said.

Investigators also found boxes in her home prepared for shipment to China.

The scheme was allegedly facilitated by an insider. A former Louis Vuitton sales assistant allegedly helped the woman by alerting her to new arrivals of expensive handbags and advising her to split purchases to avoid legal reporting requirements.

The woman used a clear strategy to avoid detection, keeping each cash payment to less than 10,000 euros, the reporting threshold that retailers must notify the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) by early 2026. She also used multiple aliases and email addresses to hide her repeat purchases at the four official Louis Vuitton locations in the Netherlands.

From January 1, 2026, Dutch law prohibits merchants from accepting cash payments of 3,000 euros or more. Prosecutors point out that luxury brands have the same obligation as banks to verify their customers under the country's rules against money laundering and terrorist financing.

Louis Vuitton settled the involvement with a fine of 500,000 euros, the trial against the 36-year-old woman, the former staff member and a third defendant is still ongoing at the Rotterdam District Court.


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