Three criminals were arrested with 10,000 counterfeit euros in a raid by the “Economic Police” in Sofia. This happened in the “Ovcha Kupel” neighborhood.
Details about the specialized police operation were given by the Director of the Internal Affairs Directorate, Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov. He explained that operational information was received about three people who had purchased counterfeit banknotes with a face value of 200 euros. The money was of extremely high quality.
“My fears are that they are preparing to distribute the counterfeit money throughout Bulgaria, counting on the fact that after the introduction of this banknote here, there will be people who will not be able to recognize these banknotes well”, said Chief Commissioner Nikolov.
According to the police, the “seller” of this money is systematically engaged in this activity. “We will work more on this person”, threatened Commissioner Nikolov. “We have been working for many years to identify the manufacturer of this high-class banknote. This is an almost unrecognizable banknote. It is possible that even a bank employee could be fooled,” he added.
The police believe that these fake euros of this quality are probably being sold for about 30% of the cost price they would have if they were real.
Two of the arrested have registered addresses in Varna, and the third in Targovishte. Chief Commissioner Nikolov explained that one of the arrested had previously been detained for making fake driver's licenses. In addition, they were convicted of theft, extortion, and one of them for robbery.
The case is ongoing. Other individuals are expected to be detained, explained Chief Commissioner Nikolov. According to him, so far, no production of counterfeit banknotes of this denomination has been detected in Bulgaria, but they are distributed almost throughout Europe.
“In connection with the introduction of the euro from January 1, 2026, the Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor's Office have made the fight against the distribution and production of counterfeit banknotes a top priority”, Commissioner Nikolov emphasized.