Dutch bank ABN AMRO to check customers for financial crimes

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Dutch bank ABN AMRO says the Netherlands’ central bank has ordered it to check all of its retail customers for possible financial crimes as part of a government crackdown.

The bank revealed the order Wednesday as it announced that second-quarter net profit edged up 1% from the same period last year to 693 million euros ($775 million).

CEO Kees van Dijkhuizen says in a statement that he welcomes Dutch government plans to tackle financial crime. He says the central bank’s recent order to check all customers will cost 114 million euros ($128 million) and warns that sanctions such as a fine “may be imposed by the authorities.”

Last September, Dutch bank ING paid 775 million euros to settle a case linked to its failure to adequately prevent money laundering.