Paris (France) (AFP) – The spotlight was on the rapper Gims and his indictment in the spring, but investigators are mainly seeking to dissect a “quasi-industrial” network of international money laundering, to the tune of a billion euros, which has long remained in the shadows.

Published on: 09/30/2026 - 10:22

From 2019 to 2025, this monster washer laundered some 300 million euros on behalf of “thousands of customers”, sources close to the investigation estimated at the beginning of 2026.

A new estimate now climbs to “more than a billion euros since 2014” laundered, according to a source close to the matter.

This network is suspected of "offering company directors the possibility of converting funds into cash", and "of allowing these companies to fraudulently minimize their taxation on the basis of false invoicing", summarized in March the National Anti-Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office (Pnaco), which is following this sprawling case.

With what objectives precisely? “Paying undeclared workers”, “uses for personal purposes”, “corrupt”, lists a second source close to the file, warning however that the “different purposes remain to be established”.

Le Monde notably revealed in June the indictment of two police officers for corruption, which other sources close to the matter confirmed to AFP.

Among the alleged beneficiaries, alongside business leaders, is also Gims, the most listened to artist in France in 2025. His arrest in Roissy in March 2026 brought the matter to the media attention.

“Key man”

The Pnaco had explained that its indictment was based on suspicions of “laundering funds from illegal activities and concealing their origin” and “using funds of illicit origin for the purposes of significant real estate investments abroad”.

On the radar in particular, the Sunset Village project in Marrakech, Morocco, promoted by the Congolese singer who has since been released and placed under judicial control. In police custody, Gims defended himself by citing a simple “image contract”, according to one of the sources close to the case.

According to a police source, this project is led by a Moroccan real estate developer, with the initials L.A.S., accused of being the "key man" of the network.

The latter is accused of organizing fundraising, setting up rebound companies, making contacts in the Middle East to guarantee compensation systems, etc.

This businessman has not yet been questioned by French justice.

To his great chagrin, assures his lawyer: "He has also expressed, on several occasions, his desire to discuss with the judges responsible for this investigation", because "he completely contests the functions and the role attributed to him by the prosecution".

“He is a business leader who employs more than 700 people in Morocco and works to carry out large-scale real estate projects, the financing of which is perfectly legal and duly verified,” continues Me Jérémie Assous.

The Pnaco responded to AFP that the investigating magistrates had already “summoned” L.A.S. on several occasions, but that the latter had “never appeared”. “The investigating judges are very inclined to receive his statements,” underlined the public prosecutor. “A new summons was recently sent to him for hearing, in the coming weeks, by the investigating services.”

“Never before seen sophistication”

According to elements of the investigations of the National Anti-Fraud Office (Onaf), of which AFP was aware, the alleged nebula is based on more than 2,000 companies which make transfers, on the basis of false invoices produced at a "quasi-industrial" pace, to more than 50 "laundering" companies.

The latter are often empty shells, run by straw managers, without premises or employees. To avoid any traceability, “rebound” companies, from Europe to China, via India, recover a “large part of the funds”.

“It’s classic laundering and compensation, but with astronomical amounts and a sophistication never seen before,” comments a source close to the matter.

The investigators strive to understand "all the cogs: organizers, beneficiaries, facilitators", observes this source.

Twenty-two people have been indicted to date, according to the Pnaco. Including two “lieutenants” of L.A.S. and the supposed “accountant” of the network, “kingpin”, underlines the police source.

This accountant's USB key opened many doors, leading to alleged distributor-collectors with various aliases: "Zink Picsou", "Cyra"...

Just a fortnight ago, this key made it possible to trace a suspect: a man in his twenties living in Hauts-de-Seine, accused of having collected at least ten million euros, according to Le Parisien. The suspect was indicted and imprisoned, sources close to the case confirmed.

This new arrest illustrates a characteristic of the case: if the suspected structure has an international scope, the case narrows around family ties in Hauts-de-Seine.

“Zink Picsou”, an alleged distributor-collector, lives in Nanterre and is in contact with a laundering company attributed to one of his distant cousins, already known for a narcotics affair twenty years ago and domiciled in Saint-Cloud (Hauts-de-Seine). This cousin is considered by investigators to be one of the “lieutenants” of L.A.S.

“Cyra”, who grew up in Nanterre, is suspected of having broken down nearly 232 million euros. He maintains that his household lives on 700 euros per month but received almost... 1.4 million euros, according to investigative evidence.

© 2026 AFP

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