Law enforcement agencies from 18 countries have seized over EUR 14 million in counterfeit currency in a joint customs and police operation aimed to disrupt the distribution of fake banknotes and coins via postal services across Europe, reports the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).

The vast majority of almost 150,000 seized items were altered-design banknotes, often referred to as "movie money". These reproductions have a similar shape and colour to real banknotes, but include a small disclaimer indicating they are fakes. However, these disclaimers are often overlooked, allowing criminals to pass them off as genuine currency, said Europol.

The most frequently seized denominations were the EUR 50 banknote, followed by the EUR 20 one. The counterfeit items also included British pounds and US dollars.

The Europol-coordinated action led by Spain, Portugal, and Austria involved searches in Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Turkiye, the UK and the US.

During the operational phase, 174 parcels containing counterfeit currency were seized, triggering 144 new police investigations into the criminal networks responsible.