Europol has reported the confiscation of €1.2 billion in counterfeit money, primarily from China, as part of a coordinated operation targeting European currency counterfeiting.
Europol has revealed that a substantial operation has led to the confiscation of €1.2 billion worth of counterfeit money, with over 90% of the illicit packages originating from China. The investigation highlighted the close cooperation between Europol and the European Central Bank, aimed at curbing the influx of counterfeit euros. In addition to the counterfeit euros, authorities seized fake US dollars, British pounds, and Swiss francs during the six-month operation.
Investigators reported the interception of a total of 79 packages containing counterfeit currency. Notably, Romanian authorities alone confiscated over 4.8 million counterfeit banknotes, as well as a significant cache of more than 223,000 forged notes found in a warehouse. Concerningly, this counterfeit money was also shipped from China, highlighting the ongoing issue of international counterfeiting networks and their impact on national economies.
The operation, which took place from June to November 2025, also led to the identification of additional shipments containing over 220,000 counterfeit coins intercepted in Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. As a result, Europol has initiated 70 investigations targeting organized crime groups involved in counterfeiting, although details regarding any arrests made have not yet been disclosed, reflecting the complex and continuing challenge of addressing counterfeit currency circulation across borders.
