Almost a third of each counterfeit euros successful Europe were linked to 1 personwho organized accumulation close successful the store successful Naples.
According to the investigation, we are talking astir 27% of counterfeit banknotescirculating successful EU. The amerciable activities were stopped successful 2023 aft Italian constabulary carried retired an cognition and detained the organizer.
However, a important portion of the banknotes helium produced is still successful circulation connected the territory of Europe.
Scale of operation
The probe established that the underground workshop produced astir 11 cardinal euros successful banknotes of 20, 50 and 100 euros.
Of these:
- 8 cardinal euros were already distributed passim Europe, chiefly done France,
- still astir 3 cardinal euros were recovered by constabulary acceptable to beryllium shipped.
In total, counterfeits were identified successful astatine slightest 10 EU countriesbefore their communal root could beryllium established.
Underground Factory
One SINGLE idiosyncratic printed 27% of each fake euros successful Europe from his GARAGE
Italian constabulary raided a location successful Naples and recovered a printing laboratory hidden down the garage
To get wrong helium built a fake wall connected rails down a furniture that opened with a homemade physics switch
Behind… pic.twitter.com/KKe7ngEWOK
— Sweep (@0xSweep) April 16, 2026
The accumulation was organized with a precocious grade of secrecy. During the search, the constabulary recovered secret roomhidden down a mendacious wall with a sliding mechanics disguised arsenic a wardrobe.
Behind him was a full-fledged line printingincluding 31 integer machinesworking astir non-stop.
Quality of fakes
Estimated European Central Bankthe level of show was so precocious that even information elements, including holograms, looked convincing.
This has importantly analyzable the detection of counterfeits successful the aboriginal stages of their distribution.
Organized network
Despite the information that accumulation was concentrated successful 1 place, the probe indicates the engagement of a wider structure. The organisation of counterfeits was carried retired done transgression channels associated with Italian Camorra.
Naples is traditionally considered 1 of the cardinal centers of counterfeiting successful Europeand this lawsuit lone confirmed the standard of the problem.
Editorial comment
This lawsuit showed an unpleasant reality: even 1 idiosyncratic tin person a important interaction connected the fiscal systemif it has entree to technology and organisation channels.
The cardinal origin present is not so overmuch production, but logistics and income network. Without it, such volumes simply would not beryllium capable to spell beyond the boundaries of 1 region.
Separate question – level of information of the banknotes themselves. If counterfeits are so adjacent to the archetypal that they are hard to separate astatine an aboriginal stage, this creates further risks for the market.
It is cases similar these that unit us to reconsider approaches to currency protection.since the technological threshold for such operations is gradually decreasing.
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