French prosecutors have opened an investigation into alleged “aggravated money laundering” related to transfers made by a Cypriot brokerage firm believed to be linked to Wagner’s mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin, who worked with a division of BNP Paribas, French newspaper Le Monde reported, citing Reuters . and news.ro.

The preliminary investigation focuses on transfers worth several hundred million euros and dollars made by TCR International Limited between 2019 and 2021, according to Le Monde.

Paris prosecutors confirmed to Reuters that they had opened an investigation into suspicious transfers by TCR International Limited after TRACFIN, the French finance ministry’s anti-money laundering unit, issued a warning in May.

The prosecutor’s office said in a statement that the transfers were “possibly of dubious origin and/or flows, without clear economic logic.” He did not refer to BNP Paribas.

TCR International Limited has partnered with BNP Paribas Security Services from 2019 to 2022, Le Monde reports.

Asked if it was aware of the investigation, BNP Paribas said it could not comment on its commitments.

The bank said it has a global compliance system and is committed to meeting its regulatory obligations.

TCR International Limited did not respond to a request for comment.

Le Monde wrote that the interest of the French authorities in TCR International Limited arose due to the investigation by American investigators of the former leader of the Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Prigozhin died in a plane crash in August.

The prosecutor’s office did not publicly comment on Prigozhin’s possible connection with TCR International Limited transfers.

Aggravated money laundering is a crime punishable in France by 10 years in prison and a fine of €750,000 or half the value of the laundered goods.