National Police expert helps shut down bogus printing shop

HUGE numbers of counterfeit euros, dollars and pesos have been seized in Columbia in an operation between the Spanish National Police, US Secret Service and Columbian Police which has resulted in the arrest of seven men and the closure of a sophisticated printing operation in Bogota.

Following various meetings between the National Police of Columbia and Spain it became apparent that a clandestine organisation was producing high quality fake currency and a great deal of it was being flown to Spain in the baggage of supposed holidaymakers.

A specialist in fake currency associated with the Criminal Investigation Branch of the Bank of Spain was sent by the National Police to Bogota in July of this year to join a 50 man task force which included officers assigned by the US Secret Service.

Having identified eight potential addresses for the production of the high value fake bank notes which were predominantly €100 and $100, the task force discovered two printing presses, hologram affixing machinery, computers containing design images for euros and dollars and a total of €1 million in €50, €100 and €500 notes as well as $1.2 million in $100 bills and a volume of Columbian pesos at one of the addresses.

A total of seven individuals were arrested and two firearms were found at one of the addresses.