Suspects sought in Asian money laundering scheme

photo: SXC

According to the Puls Biznesu daily, the Vietnamese-Chinese gang may have laundered over 2.6 billion zloty (over 631 million euro) in Poland.

Some eight people have already been charged, while five other suspects are being sought in Vietnam.

The gang allegedly exported electronics, household appliances and clothes to Poland, but failed to pay tax on the goods, siphoning the profits out of Poland, first to Ukraine, followed by transfers to companies listed in China, Belize and Panama, among others.

The affair is being investigated by the Internal Security Agency (ABW) together with the Appellate Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw.

As much as 3.5 million zloty in cash (849,000 euro) has already been seized, and calculations of the Polish Treasury's losses are being analysed.

“At the moment it's not possible to specify the amount of the losses, as the tax audits are ongoing,” said Zbigniew Jaskolski of the Appellate Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw.

Germany and Italy are also understood to have sustained vast financial losses owing to the gang's activities. (nh)