Suspicions over an international crime network which saw forgery and money laundering in the trade were aroused when suspects were seen driving flash cars.
Dutch authorities have given an insight into a probe which saw 150 criminal investigators active in the Netherlands and approximately 100 in Cyprus, Luxembourg, Poland, Belgium and Switzerland and nine arrests made.
Those arrested in July were suspected of laundering millions of euros through false businesses.
The social security intelligence and investigation service in the Netherlands (SIOD), conducted a two-year investigation code-named SOHO into a number of companies who, under Dutch law, cannot be named.
SIOD revealed to FPJ that the criminal case is based on suspicions “because people drove (expensive) cars registered in Luxemburg”. The penalty for forgery is a maximum of six years prison or a maximum fine of €74,000. The penalty for money laundering is a maximum of four years prison or a maximum fine of €74,000.
A spokesperson for SIOD said: “It is common knowledge that fraud schemes show more and more international links all across Europe. The pattern detected in the criminal investigation in SOHO proves more effort and reinforcement of international co-operation between investigation services throughout Europe and it also stressed the central role and importance of Eurojust. The only link to the UK is that large quantities of the agricultural products eventually reached UK consumers.”
Sources in the UK have raised concerns over alleged breaches of regulations pertaining to the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme across Europe and have complained certain practices relating to labour exploitation in the Netherlands which have put the UK at a disadvantage.
The Dutch National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings recently released a report into exploitation in sectors other than the sex industry in which is found that “exploitation [in Dutch horticulture] often involves an accumulation of abuses, such as low par, poor housing and a relationship of dependency”.
But the SIOD moved to clarify that it so far has found “no indication” of illegal employment or human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation in this investigation”.
