Police and customs officers at Constanța Port have seized an extraordinary 4.8 million counterfeit euro banknotes, with a total face value of almost €1 billion, in a major international operation coordinated by Europol.
The forged notes were discovered packed inside 160 boxes during Operation DECOY III, a Europe-wide investigation under EMPACT, which targets transnational criminal groups smuggling fake currency into the European Union.
Authorities reported the following breakdown of the seized cash: 40 boxes held 1.2 million €500 notes (worth €600 million), all without serial numbers, and 20 boxes contained 600,000 €200 notes (worth €120 million), also without serial numbers.
Another 60 boxes held 1.8 million €100 notes (worth €180 million), featuring serial numbers. The final 40 boxes included 1.2 million €50 notes (worth €60 million), also with serial numbers.
Preliminary investigations suggest the counterfeit money originated outside the EU, possibly from China or Turkey, and was intended to enter European markets through shipping routes to Romania.
