Police make 9 arrests, raid home of Jumbo CEO in money laundering inquiry

Police and fraud investigators have raided the home of the CEO of supermarket chain Jumbo in connection with a money-laundering investigation, local media reported.

Dozens of officers were seen taking boxes out of the house belonging to Frits van Eerd in Heeswijk-Dinther, Noord-Brabant, and searching a car on Tuesday morning, according to Omroep Brabant.

The Financieele Dagblad said the company’s headquarters in Veghel had also been targeted.

The prosecution service (OM) has said it ordered the searches by police and the fraud investigation service FIOD as part of an ‘extensive’ investigation into suspected money laundering. The raids took place at homes and businesses in Noord-Brabant, Drenthe and Groningen.

Nine people have been arrested, including a 58-year-old man from Aa en Hunze in Drenthe who is suspected of being involved in laundering large sums of money and goods, as well as VAT fraud.

The OM would not say if Van Eerd, 55, was among those arrested.

Prosecutors say the investigation focuses on transactions in real estate and cars, unexplained large cash deposits and sponsorship contracts in motocross.

Jumbo sponsors the Dutch Masters of Motorcross event and leading Dutch rider Jeffrey Herlings. Jumbo said in a statement it had ‘no comment to make at this time’.