Vienna. During the DECOY operation, coordinated by Europol and attended by 18 countries, a total of over 14 million Euros of counterfeit money was seized. During the operational phase, 174 packets of counterfeit money were seized and 144 new police investigations were launched into the criminal networks responsible. It was announced that counterfeit money was seized in the mails coming from China, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and Belgium during the seven-month operation.
According to information obtained from the authorities, a total of 148,130 counterfeit money, including 134,949 Euro banknotes and coins, 9,186 British Pounds and 3,595 US Dollars, were seized during the operation. The majority of the seized objects were reportedly modified banknotes, commonly referred to as “movie money.” These reproductions are similar to real banknotes in shape and color but contain a small indication that they are fake, but these clues can often be overlooked, allowing criminals to pass them off as real money. The most frequently seized banknote is the 50-euro note, followed by the 20-euro note.
Close cooperation between customs and police
The success of the operation, which made it possible to capture counterfeit money at key entry points, is based on close cooperation between customs and the Federal Criminal Police Office. Criminal organizations are known to often take advantage of differences or loopholes between law enforcement agencies, especially when it comes to the distribution of counterfeit money through the mail.
In addition to Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States also participated in the operation.
2024-10-29 15:22:00