Twelve individuals were arrested as part of a wide-ranging operation targeting a terrorist network involved in the most active and prolific laboratory-scale production of counterfeit 500 euro notes in the last decade. The operation, centered in Alicante, extended to Malaga and involved multiple cities as investigators pursued a sophisticated operation that masqueraded as legitimate currency production. Two suspects were on the run, five were charged as midlevel distributors of counterfeit money, and the inquiry expanded to include Barcelona, Teruel, and Valencia after high-quality purple banknotes were detected circulating widely across the country and tied to the same criminal enterprise.
The Bank of Spain’s Investigation Brigade, acting as the National Central Office for currency counterfeiting, coordinated an extensive set of criminal actions linked to the distribution of counterfeit notes. A key suspect emerged, a man previously arrested in 2009 for related offenses. The authorities noted that the latest fake notes bore striking similarities to earlier forgeries, with a printer displaying advanced graphic arts expertise and technical know-how.
In a substantial find, Mossos d’Esquadra’s Central Currency Counterfeiting Unit recovered a bag containing 500 counterfeit bills valued at more than four million euros in a town near Barcelona. A formal expert assessment by the Bank of Spain’s National Analysis Center confirmed that this was part of the same fraud. Early investigative steps included transferring the Barcelona notes to Scientific Police experts to identify the printer and other participants, revealing a core team pulled from the printer’s inner circle.
Members of the ring are described as having met in prison at Picassent and later forming new connections after release. The printer reassembled the group in a Valencia warehouse and established a new graphics lab. Over nearly three months, the group carried out distinct roles, ranging from cleaning machinery to procuring materials, producing counterfeit notes that totalled roughly eight million euros. It is alleged that a portion of this money funded a variety of criminal activities including drug purchases.
The investigation profile notes that the main suspect lived with his wife and young daughter and had led a hollow existence since his last release from prison. During this period he quietly amassed equipment and, once the laboratory was reconstituted, reunited the associates to restart the production cycle. The operation showed how the counterfeit notes were circulated incrementally across several cities, often in small consignments that blended into ordinary commerce and daily life.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 disrupted supply chains and slowed production, limiting access to materials from overseas. Investigators state that these constraints pushed the ring to relocate the production laboratory to a warehouse near Alfaz del Pi in Alicante, close to the printer’s residence. The premises appeared inconspicuous, serving primarily as a storage hub while a newer facility for actual production was sought. The printer was observed lingering on various online platforms that advertised tools and equipment, which helped authorities map out his movements.
Prosecutors and investigators noted plans by the group to refinance operations and move the production site. Initial considerations included Brazil, but the final intent was to relocate to France. The operation unfolded with simultaneous arrests spanning Valencia, Alicante, Barcelona, and Malaga, with searches conducted at multiple locations including Teruel. Authorities recovered printing materials, registered several properties, and gathered extensive evidence to support the case and the broader inquiry into the organization.
coordination of the probe involved Europol and was overseen by the Investigation Court No. 4 of Sant Feliu de Llobregat. Entries and searches were executed in Xirivella, Sagunto, Altea, La Nucía, Terriente, Sant Cugat del Vallés, and Cervelló, extending to Malaga. The detainees were brought before the court on charges of distributing counterfeit money and belonging to a criminal organization, with the case expanding to target leaders and facilitators within the group. The overall effort reflects a coordinated international response to a well-organized criminal enterprise with implications across several Spanish regions and beyond. The case continues to be monitored by European law enforcement partners who emphasize the ongoing risk and the need for vigilance against evolving counterfeiting techniques and supply networks.