Europol has supported a joint law enforcement operation that disrupted the distribution of counterfeit currency through postal services. The action resulted in the interception of nearly one million items, including fake euros, US dollars, and British pounds, with an estimated value of over EUR 66 million.
The operation’s success was driven by the outstanding collaboration between authorities from 18 countries, which helped investigators gain a deeper understanding of criminal methods and trafficking routes. Thanks to this joint effort, the operation triggered 102 new investigations targeting criminal networks engaged in currency counterfeiting.
Overall results of the operation:
- 297 parcels containing counterfeit currency seized;
- More than 990 000 counterfeit items intercepted, including banknotes and coins over EUR 280 000, USD 679 000 and GBP 12 000.
As a leading EU agency in the fight against currency counterfeiting, Europol provided expertise, coordinated the exchange of information and supported national authorities in detecting suspicious parcels. In addition, Europol helped refine risk indicators, enabling more effective identification of counterfeit currency distribution in the future. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) also supported the investigation by providing technical infrastructure during the operational phase.
New criminal networks uncovered
The investigation, led by Austria, Portugal and Spain, was conducted between October 2024 and March 2025 and uncovered several new criminal networks engaged in currency counterfeiting. Most of these networks operate from outside the EU, mainly from Asia, but also from America and the Middle East.
This operation marked the second phase of an earlier action in which Europol had also been involved. Stronger and improved cooperation between customs and police forces allowed authorities to achieve significantly better results this time. One remarkable success came from Romania, where a single coordinated action by national authorities resulted in the seizure of USD 600 000 in counterfeit currency.
As in the first iteration of the operation, the vast majority of the 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 fake. However, these disclaimers are often overlooked, allowing criminals to pass them off as genuine currency, Europol writes.
