Dirty money: who flushed €90,000 down the loo in Geneva?
Torn-up €500 bills stuffed down bank and restaurant toilets
Swiss prosecutors are investigating why someone tried to flush tens of thousands of euros down toilets around Geneva, including the loo that serves a UBS bank vault.
The money - around €90,000 (£80,000), says ABC News - is thought to have been cut up with scissors. The first batch was discovered in May, in a toilet near a safe-deposit room at a branch of UBS in the financial district, according to a report in Tribune de Geneve newspaper that was confirmed by the city prosecutor’s office.
Days later, cash was discovered clogging the toilets and pipes at three nearby restaurants, Bloomberg says.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The bills, which are legal currency, were in denominations of €500 (£444). The European Central Bank said last year that it intended to take €500 notes out of circulation, because of their links to illicit activities including money laundering.
Investigators reportedly told Tribune de Geneve that they suspect the money may have belonged “to Spanish women who placed it in a safe-deposit box several years ago”.
But Vincent Derouand, from the Geneva Prosecutor’s Office, said that throwing money away was not a crime, reports Sky News, and that the investigators are “not so interested in the motive”, but “want to be sure of the origin of the money”.
UBS declined to comment, Bloomberg says.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Instagram rolls out teen accounts with new limits
Speed Read After facing pushback over child safety, Meta announced that all users under 18 will have their Instagram accounts modified
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona official sues to bar 100K from local voting
Speed Read A large number of residents who have not submitted citizenship documents might be prevented from voting in the battleground state's elections
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Why is Laura Loomer making Republicans worried?
Today's Big Question Donald Trump says the MAGA influencer is a 'free spirit'
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
A brief history of third parties in the US
In Depth Though none of America's third parties have won a presidential election, they have nonetheless had a large impact on the country's politics
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Modern royal scandals from around the world
The Explainer From Spain to the UAE, royal families have often been besieged by negative events
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Zelenskyy says 31,000 troops dead in 2 years of war
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave a rare official military death toll
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published