Euro banknote forger detained, according to Europol
It has been reported that more than 25% of all counterfeit Euro banknotes seized in 2023 were the counterfeiter’s doing.
The counterfeiter was reportedly responsible for over a quarter of all fake Euro banknotes taken out of circulation in 2023 alone.
In Naples, Italy, police stumbled upon a “nearly industrial production line.”
According to a Monday announcement from the European police organization Europol, a man suspected of producing €11 million ($12 million) worth of counterfeit Euro banknotes was detained last week in Naples, Italy.
Europol said the unnamed man had already sold €8 million worth of fake notes across Europe, many in France, and had another €3 million ready for dispatching from his “bunker-like printing laboratory.”
They said they believed the forger to be responsible “over 27% of all faked euro banknotes discovered and taken out of circulation in 2023 alone.”
The “sophisticated print shop,” according to Europol, was hidden behind a garage and a sliding door. When Italian Carabinieri officers raided it, they discovered “extensive quantities” of raw materials and a “almost-industrial production line” that included 31 digital printing machines.
“High-quality counterfeit security features, like holograms, were confirmed to be present on the banknotes through expert analysis and an evaluation conducted by the Europeanopean Central Bank,” the statement stated.
14 persons were detained by police in March of this year in Barcelona, Rome, and Naples on suspicion of manufacturing and distributing over €1 million in fake €100 notes that were allegedly being used to circumvent ATMs and other devices.
