Parcels containing €250,000-worth of bank notes and coins ‘seized in Portugal’
A Europol* coordinated action led by Portugal, Spain and Austria resulted in the seizure by law enforcement agencies in 18 countries of over €14 million in counterfeit currency.
The joint customs and police Operation DECOY focused on the distribution of banknotes and coins via postal services.
During the operational phase, 174 parcels containing counterfeit currency were seized, triggering 144 new police investigations into the criminal networks responsible.
A total of 148, 130 counterfeit items were intercepted, including 134,949 euro banknotes and coins, 9,186 British pounds, and 3,595 US dollars.
The vast majority of seized items were altered-design banknotes – often referred to as ‘movie money’. These reproductions have a similar shape and colour to real banknotes, but include a small disclaimer indicating they are fakes. These disclaimers are often overlooked, explain reports, allowing criminals to pass them off as genuine currency.
The most frequently seized denominations were the €50 banknote, followed by the €20 note.
In a statement today, the PJ explains that Portugal’s participation in DECOY (which took place between June 15 last year and January 31) was the responsibility of the PJ’s National Anti-Corruption Unit (UNCC) and the Tax Authority’s Customs Delegation for Postal Parcels (AT).
During the period in question, 29 parcels were seized in Portugal, involving around 6,000 counterfeit notes (mostly euros, but also US dollars and pounds sterling), with a total value of over €250,000.
A statement on Europol’s own website adds that the success of DECOY was built on close cooperation “between customs and police agencies.
“Criminal organisations frequently exploit the differences between enforcement authorities, particularly when using postal services to distribute counterfeit currency. Customs officers were pivotal in detecting counterfeit banknotes and coins, while police forces conducted the necessary investigations to track down the perpetrators.
“This collaborative approach ensured that counterfeit currency was intercepted at key points of entry, and extensive investigations were launched to pursue the organised crime groups operating behind the scenes.
“The operation saw participation from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States”.
*Europol stands for European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation
Source: PJ/ Europol
