A spectacular search took place this Thursday, March 27, at the offices of the Ministry of Economy and Finance in Paris. According to the Paris prosecutor's office, it was part of a real estate laundering investigation targeting Suleiman Kerimov, a Russian billionaire targeted by European sanctions.
38 million euros at stake on the Côte d'Azur
The investigation, led by the National Jurisdiction for the Fight against Organized Crime (Junalco), seeks to shed light on the acquisition of luxury villas on the French Riviera through opaque financial arrangements. According to preliminary evidence, several properties were declared under false names to conceal the true identity of the owner, a Russian national. The tax loss is estimated at more than €38 million.
A new twist in the Kerimov affair
Suleiman Kerimov, a close associate of the Kremlin, is already the target of several investigations in Europe. This latest raid at the Ministry of Finance aims to clarify the tax mechanisms used to circumvent sanctions and transparency obligations. The Ministry of Economy has not yet made any official comment on this operation at its headquarters.
