THE HAGUE - As part of an international day of action against subversion, an investigation has been conducted into two companies in Curaçao. This is reported by the Dutch police.
During the action, the homes of the main suspect in Velsen (the Netherlands) and Spain were also searched. The 56-year-old man is suspected of money laundering and offering online gambling games without a license. During the search, two luxury vehicles, money, jewelry, and paperwork were seized. The Dutch Tax and Customs Administration has imposed an additional assessment.
It has not been disclosed which companies in Curaçao are being investigated but it is clear that they are active in the online gambling sector. It most likely concerns the company with which the suspect offers online gambling and the trust office that manages the company. This construction is often chosen because there is hardly any supervision of the online gambling sector in Curaçao, which has resulted in a lucrative trade in sub-licenses.
In the investigation, the police, the Public Prosecution Service, the Tax Authorities, the Fiscal Information, and Investigation Service (FIOD), the Gaming Authority and the municipality of Velsen worked together under the heading of the Regional Information and Expertise Center (RIEC) Noord-Holland. The RIEC focuses on combating subversive crime by combining information, expertise, and the strengths of various government agencies.
Undermining crime blurs the boundaries between the underworld and the upper world. Criminals set up businesses for their activities, apply for permits, and rent and buy buildings. For this, they need cooperation from the upper world, such as brokers and notaries, but also from Curaçao licensees and trust offices. In this way these "worlds" become intertwined, and criminals can exert pressure on the upper world (governments) and take advantage of it. The criminal investigation department is continuing the investigation and does not rule out arrests.