Police in Spain have broken up a gang behind the “most active” counterfeit euro note printing operation that has ever been discovered in the country.
In a Europol-backed operation, officers from Spain’s Policía Nacional arrested four people and seized fake banknotes worth €15,500 ($17,371).
Investigators said the organised criminal network behind the conspiracy, which was based in Tenerife, ran a sophisticated operation in which they printed fake €10 and €20 notes, raking in some €7,500 every month.
Police launched a probe into the gang’s activities in July 2018 when banks in Tenerife reported a marked increase in the number of fake €10 banknotes in circulation on the island.
Officers working on Operation Malla soon discovered that the convincing fakes were also being distributed across Europe.
During a raid on one Tenerife property that resulted in the arrest of the four suspects, police found a sophisticated printing system capable of producing counterfeit banknotes and fake ID.
Officers also seized computer and printing equipment, along with fake banknotes at various points of the production process.
Specialist Spanish counterfeit investigators said they were surprised at the quality of the fake notes, as well as the sophistication of the equipment that was used to produce them.
In a statement, Europol said: “[We] supported this operation by providing financial, technical and analytical support from the beginning and deploying a mobile office on the action day for on-the-spot support.
“As the European Union’s Central Office for Combating Euro Counterfeiting, Europol facilitates the exchange of information and provides expertise, criminal and forensic analysis, training, financial and technical support to law enforcement agencies inside and outside the European Union.”
Spanish police have advised members of the public to follow EU guidance on how to spot fake banknotes.
The European Central Bank (ECB) recommends that consumers use its “feel, look and tilt” method if they have any concerns that a banknote in their possession might be counterfeit.
The bank says that euro notes should feel crisp and firm, and that some sections should feel thicker than others.
When held up to the light, a watermark should become visible in the portrait window of euro banknotes, as should a security thread close to their centre.
If a genuine euro banknote is tilted, its silvery stripe should reveal a portrait of Europa in a transparent window, while an emerald number displays an effect of light moving up and down.
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