Carabinieri officers from the Rome Anti-Counterfeiting Operations Unit, supported by officers from the Ostia Carabinieri Company, as part of an investigative effort coordinated by the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Rome - Department of Widespread and Serious Crime, arrested a thirty-one-year-old resident of the Acilia area in flagrante delicto. He is suspected of setting up a printing press for the clandestine production of counterfeit banknotes in his home.

The alleged forger, a computer expert, was apprehended by the police just as he was completing yet another shipment of a package containing counterfeit 50 euro bills , worth a total of €7,300. A subsequent house search led to the dismantling of the printing plant, which used computers, digital printers, and high-end graphic design tools. Specifically, the so-called "graphic designs" that had originated the counterfeits were found inside the computers used for production processes. The operation also led to the seizure of an electronic wallet, used to process payments made by numerous customers, containing "lightcoin" and "usdt" cryptocurrencies with a total value of approximately €600. These were seized at the same time with the support of the Cryptocurrency Section of the Carabinieri Anti-Counterfeiting Command, and a cash sum of €21,000, presumably resulting from the so-called "cash-out" resulting from the exchange of illicit proceeds for cryptocurrency.

The investigation, which began in September and was conducted with the support of Europol and the direct involvement of the Austrian (Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service) and Spanish (Brigada de Investigacion del Banco de Espana) police, revealed that the alleged counterfeiter, who had been active on social media for some time, had produced volumes of counterfeit banknotes, originating classes of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euro banknotes, with a total estimated face value of approximately one million euros, feeding a distribution network with terminals active throughout the eurozone.

Significant investigations were gradually carried out along the distribution chain: on 18 September 2025, the Austrian police seized a postal package containing a sample of counterfeit 5, 20 and 50 euro banknotes intended for a local individual; on 19 September 2025, the Carabinieri of the Pesaro Company seized a postal package containing 20 counterfeit 50 euro banknotes and arrested the recipient; on 16 October 2025, the Carabinieri of the Strambino Station (Turin) seized a postal package containing 200 counterfeit 20 euro banknotes and arrested the recipient; On October 28, 2025, the Carabinieri of the Terni Investigative Unit seized a postal package containing 260 counterfeit 20-euro notes and 210 counterfeit 50-euro notes. The recipient was arrested and found in possession of a further quantity of counterfeit notes, with a nominal value of €36,000 in counterfeit 10-, 20-, 50-, 100-, and 200-euro notes. The arrest was validated.

(Unioneonline)

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