11.06.24 – Sophisticated banknote print shop dismantled in Italy. On an action day conducted on 10 June 2024 in Lecce, the Italian Carabinieri arrested a money counterfeiter and dismantled a sophisticated counterfeiting print shop. The raid, which resulted in the seizure of over EUR 100 000 in counterfeit banknotes and over EUR 10 000 in cryptocurrencies, was preceded by the arrests of buyers of large quantities of fake banknotes in Italy and France. Coordinated by Europol, investigators from law enforcement authorities in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain had been tracking down the criminal group, which consists of two further accused individuals, since February 2024. The forgers are responsible for producing highly convincing counterfeit euro banknotes, which they offered for sale via a popular encrypted messenger service.
11.06.24 – Beyond gangland shootouts and drug trafficking, Italy’s mafia is a threat to democracy. Last month, an Italian administrative court confirmed the dissolution of the city administration of the Puglia city of Neviano, after an investigation determined that local officials were being unduly influenced by the mafia. The decision barely made news in Italy, where city hall administrations, town councils and local public health agencies are regularly dissolved because of mafia infiltration or collusion, and independent commissioners appointed to take over.
13.06.24 – Cocaine cartel collapses after final arrests in Spain. A long-run investigation led by the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil), supported by Europol, resulted in a major hit on a criminal network involved in large-scale drug trafficking from South America to the EU. This final operation is the culmination of a series of actions against this network that took place over the course of three years. This latest internationally coordinated action is tied to a number of national and international investigations led by Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Serbia and Türkiye. The sting was coordinated by Europol’s Operational Taskforce.
14.06.24 – Organised crime group made millions selling illegal cigarettes. A criminal gang was running a multi-million-pound operation selling counterfeit cigarettes and nitrous oxide canisters through a network of shops. The gang employed a range of techniques to hide their illicit stock including hidden storage compartments and in some cases by taking control of the flats above the businesses and linking them to the stores with secret winches and chutes.
14.06.24 – Two men arrested and more than €1 million seized in operation targeting organised crime group. Gardai have arrested two men and seized more than €1 million in cash in an ongoing operation targeting organised crime in Dublin. Officers attached to the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) conducted a search of a residence in the Knocklyon area of Dublin 16 on Thursday. In the course of the operation, cash in excess of €1 million, along with a money counting machine and financial ledgers, were recovered.
