Well-known counterfeiter arrested in Italy for making counterfeits worth 11 million euros
Kyiv • UNN
A counterfeiter responsible for 27% of counterfeit euro banknotes in 2023 was detained in Naples. EUR 3 million of counterfeit banknotes were seized, and earlier counterfeits worth EUR 8 million were sold across Europe.
A well-known euro counterfeiter who produced counterfeit banknotes worth 11 million euros has been arrested in Italy, Europol reported on August 19, UNN reports.
The counterfeiter sold €8 million worth of counterfeit banknotes across Europe, and €3 million worth of counterfeit banknotes were ready to be shipped at his printing plant in Naples
Details
In a sting operation in Naples, Italy, on August 14, Italian carabinieri reportedly arrested a known counterfeiter, dismantled his counterfeiting printing press, and seized nearly €3 million in high-quality counterfeit banknotes.
The detained counterfeiter is believed to be responsible for more than 27% of all counterfeit Euro banknotes detected and withdrawn from circulation in 2023 alone. The total nominal value of these banknotes is estimated at approximately EUR 8 million.
It is reported that the criminal set up a workshop in his own home, hiding the production facility behind a garage.
The investigation began back in 2022 and since then, intelligence information has been received from at least 10 countries that have reported seizures of the same type of counterfeit euro bills, Europol said.
