Law enforcement authorities from 18 countries have stopped an estimated EUR 1.2 billion in counterfeit banknotes and coins from entering circulation during Operation DECOY III, a Europol-coordinated action led by Austria, Portugal, and Spain.
The joint customs and police operation targeted criminal networks distributing fake currency through postal services.
Majority of seizures linked to China
More than 90% of the seized counterfeit currency was linked to shipments originating from China, highlighting a major source of counterfeit cash entering Europe.
Romanian authorities alone intercepted over 4.8 million altered-design euro banknotes and dismantled a storage facility holding more than 223 000 counterfeit notes shipped from China.
In addition, three separate seizures in Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States uncovered more than 220 000 counterfeit coins in euros, pounds, and US dollars. All shipments were traced back to China. Read More.
