Bulgaria Earns Praise from Europol for Busting Workshop for Forged Euro Notes

An operation by the Bulgarian authorities that led to the dismantling of an illegal workshop for counterfeiting of 100 euro banknotes has drawn praise from Europol.

The authorities, in close cooperation with Europol, seized EUR 24,000 in counterfeit EUR 100 notes ready for distribution as well as engravings for fake notes amounting to more than EUR 500 000 during the operation conducted in the area of Pleven, in northern Bulgaria, last week. Three members of the organized crime group have been detained in police custody.

"This seizure of fake banknotes is one of Europe's most significant in recent years on account of the quality of the forged notes detected in circulation in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain," Europol said in a statement

Europol Director Rob Wainwright commented that the organized crime group had "huge production potential" both in terms of the volume of fake euro notes but also on account of their quality.

"I am pleased to see Bulgaria's determined fight against organised crime and such operations are an important contribution to the protection of the euro," Wainwright said in the statement.