Woman accused of money laundering at Louis Vuitton stores

A regular customer at a Louis Vuitton store in the Netherlands has been accused of laundering over three million euros in wallets, clothing, and other items for nearly two years. Dutch authorities believe employees of the French luxury brand helped the suspect commit the crime.

The customer, of Chinese origin and identified as Bei W., allegedly made purchases always in cash and never exceeding ten thousand euros at a time, between September 2021 and February 2023, reports local newspaper Algemeen Dagblad — AD . She ended up spending $3 million in various stores of the luxury brand over 18 months, all part of an international money laundering scheme.

Bei W. usually bought luxury goods in the centers of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and there is no confirmation yet about the specific store where the crimes took place. According to the DutchNews newspaper, there are four official stores in the Netherlands—two in Amsterdam, one at Schipol Airport, and one in Rotterdam.

The Dutch Public Prosecutor's Office considers Louis Vuitton to be involved in the scheme, as the brand failed to ask Bei W. to present identification when making the purchases. Authorities believe that by failing to take the recommended precautions, the store facilitated the crime.

According to European Union legislation, “when the payment is made by individuals who are not resident in national territory, and provided they do not act as businesspeople or traders, the limit amounts to 10,000 euros.”

According to Dutch authorities, Bei W. purchased the items and shipped them to China, part of the Daigou business: a new form of luxury shopping in which a fashion expert goes shopping abroad to avoid high import taxes in China. People from all over the world travel to various European cities, particularly Paris, to avoid high import costs. This method is used by luxury brand lovers, but also by underground bankers as a means of laundering illicit money.

In the Asian country, the same Louis Vuitton products can cost up to 30% more than in Europe, making this type of operation highly profitable for the Daigou trade. A legally registered personal shopper earns around €90 per hour, depending on experience and location.

The DutchNews newspaper also reported that authorities believe Bei W.'s role as Daigou was related to a convicted underground banker who allegedly provided her with large sums of money. The case also has other suspects: two individuals who allegedly helped the woman. One of them, an employee at the luxury store, informed the customer whenever he received items under 10,000 euros.

According to Jornal de Negócios , in 2019, Dutch finances were being affected by money laundering. In June 2025, the Dutch Minister of Justice and Security, David Van Weel, stated that money laundering prevention had been intensified in the country, cooperating with several organizations. On June 10, 2025, the Dutch government "approved a ban on cash payments for goods over three thousand euros," he stated in a statement .

After searches of the woman's home in 2023, large quantities of branded products were found, some already packaged and ready to be shipped to China and Hong Kong. The case has taken legal action, and Bei W. appeared in court earlier this month. The case will continue next year, and it is not yet clear whether the Dutch Public Prosecutor's Office will formally charge the store with complicity in the crime.

Louis Vuitton has not responded to questions from the Dutch press about the case to date.

Text edited by Dulce Neto