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8 arrested in counterfeit operation in Italy: Europol

Xinhua, December 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

Eight suspects were arrested in Italy in an investigation targeting a criminal group which is suspected of being one of the biggest vendors of counterfeit euros online, the European Police Office (Europol) said in a statement Thursday.

During the investigation by Italian police, supported by Europol, several hundred counterfeit euro buyers were also identified.

The investigation revealed that the vendor was selling counterfeit 20, 50 and 100-euro notes on the dark web for around 30 percent of their face value. Payments for the counterfeit banknotes were made using Bitcoin virtual currency.

It is estimated that the group received over 160,000 euros (169,712 U.S. dollars) in Bitcoins, which were then sold to a specialized exchanger in Malta.

Wil van Gemert, Europol's deputy director of operations, said: "Europol and its partners are committed to investigating the 'shadow' trade in illegal commodities, and to ensuring that these criminals are brought to justice." Endit