Gardaí assist Europol in continent-wide operation targeting trade of counterfeit euro banknotes

Gardaí conducted raids as part of a coordinated operation across Europe targeting the trade in counterfeit euro banknotes on the Darknet.

Eight EU countries took part in the initiative which resulted in an array of illegal items being seized, including drugs, weapons, fake medicines as well as counterfeit notes.

The EU police agency, Europol, coordinated the action and enabled the sharing of information between law enforcement bodies.

In a statement, the Hague-based agency said the coordinated searches were conducted between December 9 and 11 targeting the sale of counterfeit euro banknotes on illegal platforms on the hidden web.

“Law enforcement authorities from seven EU Member States carried out 36 house searches, detained 44 suspects for questioning, 11 of whom have been arrested, and seized counterfeit euro banknotes, drugs, weapons, doping substances, illegally procured medicines, forged documents and virtual currency,” the statement said.

It said a “clandestine documents print shop” was also dismantled in Germany.

The statement said:

Germany carried out 27 house searches and nine other raids were done in Austria, France, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain.

It said these joint activities were triggered after the Portuguese Judicial Police (Polícia Judiciária) dismantled a digital print shop in July 2019.

“This Europol-supported operation led to the arrests of five individuals suspected of producing and distributing counterfeit 10 and 50 euro banknotes mainly via the Darknet,” the statement said.

“Over 26,000 fake banknotes were shipped to buyers all over Europe, making this criminal group the second-largest counterfeit currency producer operating on the Darknet to be identified so far.”

It said Europol analysed the information uncovered during the raid in Portugal and disseminated it to the affected countries, leading to buyers on the Darknet.

The statement said that as Europol was the assigned agency within the European Central Office for combating euro counterfeiting, it supported the investigation with operational analysis and facilitated the exchange of information.