The investigation was initiated by Carabinieri anti-counterfeiting investigators in January 2023, who received support from Europol. The aim of the investigation was to take down the Naples-based criminal group. The group was mostly active in France, Spain, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, but they sold their counterfeit banknotes across Europe.Europol facilitated the information exchange and financed and coordinated several operational activities. Europol also provided analytical support to identify countries in which the banknotes were distributed. During the action day, Europol deployed an expert to Italy to provide technical support and cross-check the operational information against Europol’s databases and the European Central Bank’s systems.Participating authorities:Italy: Carabinieri (Comando Carabinieri Antifalsificazione Monetaria (CCAFM))France: National Police (Police Nationale - Office central pour la répression du faux-monnayage (OCRFM))

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