Police Swoop On Gang Of Banknote Forgers

SEVENTEEN alleged members of a network which distributed false €200 notes throughout Spain have been arrested.

The arrests were carried out by National Police and the Catalan Regional Police, Mossos d’Esquadra, in Madrid and Barcelona.

Almost €46,000 in forged notes was seized in nine searches, as well as nine firearms, falsified documents and equipment to forge the money.

Most of the detainees were Spanish who were part of a gang in which the leader acquired the notes and gave them to other members to complete the process of forgery. They later used them to purchase cheap items in small shops and get change in legal currency. In the past year they had put around €70,000 into circulation in €200 notes.