Authorities Intercept Millions in Fake Banknotes and Coins Across Europe, US
<p>Europol <a href="https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/eur-12-billion-in-counterfeit-cash-stopped-in-postal-operation">said</a> Wednesday that authorities from 18 countries seized an estimated 1.2 billion euros ($1.43 billion) in counterfeit currency in a six-month operation targeting criminal networks that distributed fake banknotes and coins through postal services.</p><p>The operation, led by Austria, Portugal and Spain and carried out between June and November 2025, intercepted more than seven million counterfeit items, including 4.8 million euros, $2.3 million, 23,302 pounds and 4,800 Swiss francs. More than 90 percent of the fake currency originated in China, the agency said.</p><p>Romanian officials alone seized over 4.8 million altered-design euro banknotes and dismantled a storage site holding more than 223,000 counterfeit notes, while additional actions in Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States uncovered more than 220,000 fake coins in multiple currencies.</p><p>The coordinated crackdown, involving customs and police agencies across Europe and the U.S., has triggered 70 new investigations, Europol added.</p>