Couple faces eight years in prison for laundering over €50 million through grocery store
Dutch prosecutors on Monday demanded eight years in prison for a 48-year-old Rotterdam man and two years for his 42-year-old wife, accusing the couple of laundering more than 50 million euros through their Chinese grocery store. The couple’s son was also involved.
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) said the man laundered over 50 million euros in multiple currencies, while his wife reportedly handled an additional 1.5 million euros. Prosecutors are also seeking fines of €1.7 million for the man and 100,000 euros for his wife.
According to the OM, the Rotterdam store was not only selling Chinese food but also acting as a point for exchanging large amounts of cash. “According to information from the Criminal Intelligence Team (TCI), the Rotterdam shop did not only sell Chinese food but also saw bags of cash exchanged over the counter,” the OM said. The couple was arrested at the store on April 9, 2024.
During their trial in Zwolle, prosecutors presented evidence from encrypted messages on the platform SkyECC. The 48-year-old man reportedly used the app to coordinate cash transfers.
Prosecutors argue the man must have known that the funds he moved were connected to drug trafficking, citing his language in SkyECC messages and photos of narcotics he received.
The OM said the couple’s criminal operations spanned from February 2020 through March 2024. Even after SkyECC was shut down in March 2021, the couple continued sending each other photos of banknotes and screenshots of planned transactions. Searches of their homes also led to the seizure of luxury watches.
The couple’s son also took part in handling money at the store. At the time, he was a minor and received a 50-hour community service sentence in October 2024 for laundering nearly 2.5 million euros.
