Europol Uncovers Major Darknet Counterfeit Money Network, Over 230 Arrested

Europol has announced that police forces from 13 countries—including Germany, France, Austria, Italy, the United Kingdom, and others—conducted more than 300 searches and arrested 235 people after shutting down a darknet marketplace selling counterfeit money.

How the Operation Unfolded

The large-scale operation began in the summer of 2018, when the Austrian Federal Police tracked down and arrested the owner of a major darknet site that sold fake currency. According to investigators, the suspect was printing counterfeit banknotes in denominations of 10, 20, and 50 euros, with his print shop located in the city of Leoben. Before his arrest, he managed to produce and distribute over 10,000 fake bills.

Investigation Details

Sources familiar with the investigation report that the arrested individual did not adequately protect his operations. Although he accepted payments in cryptocurrency, he also kept records of all mailing addresses where the counterfeit bills were sent. When law enforcement seized his equipment, they quickly found a list of all his recent buyers, which was immediately handed over to Europol.

Results of the Raids

As a result, authorities conducted over 300 searches at the addresses of buyers from the list, discovering more than 1,500 counterfeit banknotes, drugs, weapons, cryptocurrency mining equipment, bitcoins, a marijuana plantation, and another print shop producing fake money in France.

Europol’s Statement

“This joint operation demonstrates that complete anonymity does not exist on the darknet or the internet. If you engage in illegal activity online, be prepared for the police to come knocking on your door sooner or later,” Europol representatives stated.

Ongoing Efforts Against Counterfeiters

The images below show that many counterfeiters continue to sell fake dollars, euros, pounds, rubles, and more on the darknet. Law enforcement agencies are actively fighting this activity, with Austrian police making particularly notable efforts. For example, in 2017, 53 people were arrested and a counterfeit money operation was shut down in Vienna. In September 2018, Austrian authorities, together with their Polish counterparts, discovered and dismantled a counterfeiting network in the city of Gdynia.