On 4 August, a 34-year-old forger who allegedly produced hundreds of thousands of EUR 2 coins over the last two years was arrested in Pristina, Kosovo*. His arrest is the culmination of months of meticulous planning between the authorities of Kosovo* and the Republic of North Macedonia, with the support of Europol and Eurojust.
Several locations were also searched simultaneously in North Macedonia, where machines for the production of counterfeit currency, thousands of assembled coins, rings and core blanks were seized.
The individual arrested is identified as an employee of the Ministry of Interior of North Macedonia. Authorities were alerted to the suspect’s activities through a coordinated intelligence-sharing effort.
A joint investigation team (JIT) was established at Eurojust between the Special Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kosovo* on one side, and the Basic Prosecution in Skopje on the other, with the support of the Western Balkans Criminal Justice Project, hosted at Eurojust. Investigative activities carried out were supported by the Kosovo Police, the Investigative Centre of the Public Prosecutor’s Office Skopje and the Ministry of Interior of North Macedonia. Europol’s support was instrumental in this operation, providing critical intelligence analysis, operational coordination, and technical assistance to ensure the successful apprehension of the suspect.
The coins seized during the searches will be further examined, comparing them to other coins already withdrawn from circulation to evaluate the real scale of the production.
The EU central office for combating euro counterfeiting
Europol serves as the European Union’s central office for combating euro counterfeiting, playing a pivotal role in safeguarding the integrity of the Eurozone’s currency.
As the hub for intelligence and operational support, Europol coordinates efforts across Member States to detect, investigate, and dismantle counterfeiting networks. The Agency provides specialised expertise, facilitates the exchange of critical information, and deploys advanced technological tools to track and analyse counterfeiting activities.
The investigation was supported financially by the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), the Europol writes.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
