“This is the largest known seizure of counterfeit banknotes of this type of counterfeit in Europe. This police source does not hide his satisfaction, while nearly 130,000 euros in counterfeit money have just been seized in Paris after a banal control. A 43-year-old Senegalese man, who turned out to be in an irregular situation, wanted to escape it, embarking on a brief chase in the Halles district.
Arrested, the police discovered an envelope containing 200 counterfeit banknotes in his pockets. Direction immediate police custody, and a warrant to search his home in Pantin. The investigators discovered there “more than 1,000 good quality banknotes of 100, 50 and 20 euros”.
Crime punishable by 30 years in prison and a fine of 450,000 euros
Already known to the police for various offenses related to the use of narcotics, rebellion and concealment of theft, the man claimed to be “just a mule” within this trade in counterfeit money. He is still in custody in the premises of the Central Office for the Repression of Counterfeiting Currency (OCRFM), now in charge of investigations. Counterfeiting or falsifying coins or banknotes that are legal tender is considered a crime punishable by 30 years of criminal imprisonment and a fine of 450,000 euros.
Historically, France is the country in the euro zone most affected by classic counterfeiting, with “30 to 40%” of counterfeit banknotes circulating in Europe, the vast majority of which come from Italy, the leading European producer of counterfeit money. , especially in the region of Naples where the Camorra is rampant.