Europol supports Italian Carabinieri to take down counterfeit currency network

Italian law enforcement authorities, with the support of Europol, have arrested 53 individuals suspected of being part of an infamous organised crime group responsible for distributing counterfeit money on a worldwide scale.

Arrests were made today in the Italian cities of Naples, Caserta, Genoa, Turin, Palermo and Avellino, with charges including possessing, handling and distributing counterfeit money.

The operation has dealt a serious blow to the criminal group acting in the Naples region, a well-established organisation suspected to be involved in counterfeit money production and distribution worldwide.

Following an extensive investigation beginning in 2012, supported by Europol and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), Carabinieri were able to piece together the methods by which the criminal group gained complete control of the international counterfeit euro market. They distributed significant quantities in Italy and all over the world through their dense network. France, Spain, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria were the countries most affected.