20 arrested in separate money laundering busts involving drugs, cash, Rolex watches

Police announced 20 arrests in two separate money laundering investigations on Tuesday. The first case involved hundreds of detectives who raided 22 different locations in the Netherlands to tackle an organized crime ring that allegedly laundered over a hundred million euros. The other case saw a gang broken up after they used high-end watches and forged documents to launder ill-gotten money.

Seven suspects were arrested in the first case, police said. The investigation was launched over two years ago with an eye on the people taken into custody. Then, early Tuesday morning tactical teams raided the suspects' homes and took the suspects into custody. More specialized units were sent to Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel and Montfoort to secure commercial properties to allow the hundreds of detectives involved to safely carry out their job.

"Information was available that the suspects were involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. The investigation team believes that in recent years a sum of more than a hundred million euros has been laundered by the suspects," police said. The suspects were placed in restricted custody, and were only allowed contact with their legal representation. They face a remand hearing on Friday.

The arrests were made in Amsterdam, Bergschenhoek, Oostvoorne, Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel, Rotterdam and Uithoorn. A total of 22 homes and commercial properties were raided. The other cities involved were Denekamp, The Hague, Ouderkerk aan den IJssel, Rotterdam and Valkenburg.

Additionally, police in Luxembourg and Serbia also took part in the case in their own countries, but Dutch authorities did not release more detail about the international involvement. "Expensive cars and cash were seized in today's searches," police said on Tuesday. "In addition, detectives and digital specialists will work with the contents of business administration, telephones and computers that were taken today."

Second crime ring broken up

Later on Tuesday, police said they arrested 13 suspects and raided three homes and a commercial building in an investigation into the facilitators of organized crime. The suspects are accused of laundering criminal money through the trade in luxury watches, forgery, violating the Opium Act, and participating in a criminal organization. The police seized cash, expensive watches, and a firearm with ammunition.

According to the police, the suspects use their trade in Rolex watches to launder money for organized crime. “Dealers in exclusive watches sometimes come into the picture in organized crime investigations. They seem to have a facilitating role. The watches are used as means of payment or collateral in the large-scale drug trade, for example,” the police said.

The suspects arrested on Tuesday are a 71-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman from Rotterdam, a 36-year-old and 46-year-old man from Capelle aan den IJssel, a 34-year-old man from Zoetermeer, a 53-year-old man from Oud-Beijerland, a 62-year-old woman from Barendrecht, a 28-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man from Moordrecht, a 42-year-old man from Bleiswijk, a 50-year-old man from Hertogenbosch, a 53-year-old man from Oostzaan, and a 51-year-old man from Schiedam. They are in restricted custody for further investigation. That means they are only allowed contact with their lawyers.

Investigators searched three homes in Moordrecht, Barendrecht, and Rotterdam, as well as a business in Berkel en Rodenrijs. They seized a firearm and ammunition, many luxury watches, expensive jewelry, administrative documents, and approximately 13,000 euros in cash.

Tuesday’s raids were not the first in this investigation. In May last year, the police raided five homes in Rotterdam, Breda, and Capelle aan den IJssel and an office building in Alblasserdam. Cops seized 22 Rolex watches, 20,000 euros in cash, 200 watch certificates, and a firearm. Investigators searched a jewelry store in Rotterdam in October 2020, suspected of being used as a stash location. The German authorities also searched two jewelers in May this year.