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The investigation began as part of a broader money laundering procedure, which also brought to light the name of Thanas Bakos, 55, previously convicted of running an illegal financial structure.
The Dutch prosecutor's office has fined Louis Vuitton's Dutch branch 500,000 euros for violating rules against money laundering and terrorist financing.
The investigation began as part of a broader money laundering procedure, which also brought to light the name of Thanas Bakos, 55, previously convicted of running an illegal financial structure.
According to authorities, over a period of several years, the company failed to fully verify the identities of customers who repeatedly made large cash purchases. The case was closed with a criminal order to avoid further burdening the court in Rotterdam.
At the center of the scheme is a 36-year-old woman from Lelystad, identified as Bei W., who spent over 2 million euros between August 2021 and February 2023 at luxury stores, including Louis Vuitton. She used several aliases and email addresses and kept each payment below the 10,000 euro threshold that triggered reporting to the Financial Intelligence Unit.
Authorities suspect she was shipping the products to China for resale, presenting the proceeds as legitimate business. Investigators seized text messages, receipts and security camera footage. They also found boxes prepared for shipment in her apartment.
He was allegedly assisted in this activity by a former store employee, who informed him about the arrival of new models and advised him on how to divide purchases to avoid legal reporting obligations.
From January 1, 2026, Dutch legislation prohibits cash payments over 3 thousand euros. The prosecution emphasizes that entities that trade in luxury products have the same obligations as banks to identify customers and report suspicious transactions.
While the company accepted the fine, the trial against the 36-year-old, former employee, and a third person continues in the Rotterdam District Court.
The role of Thanas Bako
The Rotterdam court sentenced Thanas Bako in September 2024 to 7 years in prison for involvement in organized crime and managing a large money transfer network. Authorities arrested him in Athens at the request of the Netherlands.
According to the dossier, he ran a network of couriers through encrypted communications that moved around 246 million euros and paid out nearly 248 million euros between June 2020 and March 2021. The network operated from several premises in the Netherlands, including Wateringen and Amsterdam.
The couriers used company vehicles and maintained clean criminal records. They transported money for criminal clients in exchange for commissions. To verify delivery, they used identifying marks such as banknotes with a specific serial number.
One of the warehouses used for counting and storing money was used to collect over 165 million euros. According to the prosecution, two couriers carried out around 200 transactions averaging around 828 thousand euros each.
A February 2021 episode also involved a hostage-taking at a warehouse, where gunmen demanded money attributed to Bako's network. Police later identified the vehicle used by the perpetrators.
Authorities consider the structure he runs to be an organized mechanism for transferring and laundering large sums of money in several countries.
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