One billion euros in forged banknotes, captured in Constanța port. The investigation was coordinated by Europol
Boxes with falsified benches confiscated in Constanța/ Photo: Romanian Police
Police and customs officers from Constanța port captured 4.8 million forged banknotes, with a nominal value of 960 million euros, in an international operation, coordinated by Europol. The counterfeit banknotes were placed in 160 boxes.
The action was carried out within the International Decy III operation, under the aegis of Empact, coordinated at European level by Europol, aimed at identifying suspicious packages containing counterfeit banknotes entering the territory of the European Union such as China, Turkey, informs a statement of the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police (IGPR).
“Following the DCCO institutional cooperation – the Central National Office for Combating Currency Fakes with the Otopeni Border Customs Office and the Border Customs Office Constanta Sud, on Friday, in the port of Constanta Sud, 160 packages with counterfeit banknotes from the category of false encoded at European level 'Altered Design'” were identified.
In 40 boxes there were 1,200,000 banknotes of 500 euros (600,000,000 euros), without series, and of 20 boxes contained 600,000 banknotes of 200 euros (120,000,000 euros), without series.
Another 60 boxes contained 1,800,000 banknotes of 100 euros (180,000,000 euros), with series, while in 40 boxes 1,200,000 banknotes of 50 euros (60,000,000 euros) were found, with series.
The 4,800,000 banknotes, totaling 960,000,000 euros, were raised, in order to continue the research.
“The activities were carried out in a complex team formed by the officers of the Central National Office for Combating Currency Fakes, of the Ilfov Organized Crime Combat Service and the service to combat maritime ports, along with customs inspectors,” IGPR reports.
The investigations are continued under the supervision of the case prosecutor in a criminal case instrumented by the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Cornetu Court.
Another capture announced in August
In August, Europol announced that large European investigations, conducted between October 2024 and March 2025 in 18 countries, allowed the identification of some networks that falsified money, most of them operating from Asia, South America and the Middle East, and the Romanian police were congratulated for an operation that allowed the recovery of 600,000, a single $ 600 European police.
Europol has supported a common law enforcement operation that disturbed the distribution of fake money through postal services. The total value of these counterfeit banknotes, found in 297 separate packages, is estimated at 66 million euros.
The operation was led by the authorities in 18 countries. Few details were disclosed on the confiscation site, but the Romanian police were congratulated for an operation that allowed the recovery of 600,000 false dollars in a single raid.
“The vast majority of confiscated objects were modified banknotes, often called” cinema tickets “,” Europol says in its statement. “Cinema tickets” are reproductions with a shape and color similar to those of authentic banknotes, but containing a small mention that are false. However, this mention is often ignored, which allows criminals to use them as a real currency.
