Police and tax officials have arrested an 81-year-old man and his 61-year-old wife on charges of tax evasion, money laundering, forgery and illegal banking.

The couple were picked up at their home in the Limburg town of Gennep, where police also seized cash, Chinese art, cars and bank accounts in Germany, Hong Kong, France and Panama. They have also sequestered a holiday park in France, other company premises and a marina in the Netherlands, the public prosecution department said.

There were simultaneous raids in Germany, Hong Kong, France, the Philippines, Panama and Singapore, the department said without giving further details.

The investigation is focused on the couple and their business operations abroad. They are suspected of shifting a large part of the profits they make in the Netherlands from art dealing and trading vehicle parts to their companies in Hong Kong which are registered offshore and are not liable for tax.

In total, the couple, who are not registered in the Netherlands, are said to have swindled the tax authorities out of €41m, the public prosecutor said.

The Telegraaf has named them as Herman van O and his Taiwanese partner Chun L and said both were named in the Panama Papers, the leaked files from Panamanian trust office Mossack Fonseca.