In a major international operation against money counterfeiting, police and customs services from 18 countries prevented the distribution of counterfeit banknotes and coins with an estimated value of 1.2 billion euros. It is Operation Decoy 3, which was coordinated by Europol and led by Austria, Portugal and Spain.
The action was aimed at breaking up criminal networks that distributed fake money through postal shipments, using international delivery channels to avoid control and surveillance.
China identified as the main source
According to the investigation, more than 90 percent of the counterfeit money seized was linked to shipments originating in China, indicating a key point in the supply chain of counterfeits ending up on the European market.
Of particular note is the action of the Romanian authorities, who intercepted more than 4.8 million euro banknotes with a modified design, and discovered a warehouse with an additional 223,000 counterfeit banknotes delivered from China.
Separate seizures in Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States have uncovered more than 220,000 counterfeit euro, British pound and US dollar coins. These shipments also led to the same source.
More than seven million counterfeits
During the six-month operational phase, from June to November 2025, a total of 379 postal packages containing counterfeit money were seized. These seizures led to the opening of 70 new investigations against criminal groups involved in the production and distribution of counterfeits.
In total, more than seven million pieces of counterfeit money were intercepted, including:
4.8 million euros (banknotes and coins),
2.3 million US dollars,
23,302 British pounds,
4,800 Swiss francs.
The estimated total value of the seized money is 1.2 billion euros.
Wide international cooperation
Competent services 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 of America participated in the operation.
Europol and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) provided operational and analytical support, facilitating the exchange of intelligence, the identification of risky shipments, and the improvement of methods for future actions.
At the same time, Europol, in cooperation with the European Central Bank and under the coordination of the European Commission, is working to strengthen the partnership with the Chinese authorities, with the aim of suppressing the production and distribution of counterfeit money at the very source.
