Authorities in Germany, Italy, and Spain have dismantled a euro counterfeiting network

An international network suspected of producing and distributing counterfeit euro banknotes was targeted in an operation carried out simultaneously in Germany, Italy and Spain. Six arrest warrants were executed, while investigators searched 16 properties in Stuttgart, the Rems-Murr district, Naples and Gran Canaria.

In Germany, investigators discovered two illegally owned pistols, ammunition, counterfeit euro banknotes believed to have originated in Italy, as well as 16 phones and data-storage devices. According to investigators, the group allegedly supplied high-quality banknotes to criminal organisations in Germany and Spain, contributing to the circulation of several hundred thousand counterfeits.

The investigation began in November 2021, following the arrest of a 47-year-old Italian man suspected of links to the Camorra, counterfeiting money, money laundering and drug trafficking. He was extradited to Italy in 2022 and later released, but allegedly continued to stay in contact with other suspects, including the operators of restaurants in Stuttgart.

Five Italian citizens and one Turkish citizen are implicated in the case. Five suspects were placed in pre-trial detention, while the sixth was placed under judicial supervision. Europol supported the investigation through experts and financial analyses. The operation was coordinated by the authorities in Baden-Württemberg and Stuttgart, in cooperation with judicial and police institutions in Italy and Spain.