Customs seized on June 10 832,735 pounds sterling and 3,500 euros, in small denominations in sports bags, i.e. 50 kg of banknotes, in a car that left Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais) and which was to go in Luxembourg, according to the Lille prosecutor's office.
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On June 10 at around 11:45 am, the customs officers of Saint-Aybert, in “
dynamic
” control on the A2, decided to check a car registered in Germany. The driver then declares coming from Boulogne and going to Luxembourg. "
By opening the safe, the customs officers are surprised to discover three sports bags filled with tickets (...) The counting of tickets takes nearly twelve hours, continuing until 1:00 in the morning
", reports in a released press release Friday, June 18 the Lille prosecutor's office, which opened a judicial investigation of the heads of customs laundering, common law laundering in organized gangs and criminal associations.
The investigation, piloted by the specialized interregional jurisdiction (JIRS) of Lille, is entrusted to the Lille unit of the financial judicial investigation service (SEJF).
The driver, alone in the vehicle, was remanded in custody at the end of his custody.
"
Europol's assistance has proven to be decisive via the reactive and efficient relay of French customs liaison officers based in The Hague, headquarters of this European agency specializing in the fight against serious international crime and terrorism
", underlines the prosecutor of the Republic of Lille, Carole Etienne, in the press release.
In 2020, French customs officials intercepted 59.5 million euros for breach of the reporting obligation and money laundering.
