In 2020, the Public Prosecutors Service (OM) seized around 303 million euros worth of cash and cryptocurrency in criminal cases. The amount is considerably higher than it was in 2019 when a total of 258.1 million euros was confiscated.
The amount consists mainly of money that were seized from criminals during investigations and returned to the victims. Public prosecutors also seized 184 million euros at the request of foreign countries.
The OM particularly noticed an increase in the amount of cash seized which increased from 61 million in 2019 to almost 103 million in 2020. Transporting cash during the pandemic became increasingly more difficult for criminals. “Before the pandemic, criminals stowed away their money in heavily cash reliant companies, for example in catering”, national money laundering prosecutor, Anita van Dis, said.
The OM particularly noticed an increase in the amount of cash seized which increased from 61 million in 2019 to almost 103 million in 2020. Transporting cash during the pandemic became increasingly more difficult for criminals. “Before the pandemic, criminals stowed away their money in heavily cash reliant companies, for example in catering”, national money laundering prosecutor, Anita van Dis, said.