08.04.24 – 63 forgers arrested in Naples. 63 money counterfeiters responsible for faking Euro banknotes worth over EUR 6 million have been arrested on an action day conducted today by the Italian Carabinieri and French National Police, supported by Europol. Of the 63 arrests, 62 were made in Italy, with 1 in France. The Italian organised criminal group mainly based in Naples, Italy, was involved in the distribution of high-quality counterfeited banknotes in several denominations across Europe. In law enforcement circles, the intricate fakes were referred to as “Napoli Group” banknotes, characterised by a high level of sophistication. The forged security features displayed on the fake banknotes were of high quality, as confirmed by the European Central Bank’s analysis. Leading up to the action day, the Carabinieri had already traced 83 sales activities, arrested 7 couriers and seized up to EUR 200 000 in counterfeit notes in denominations of 20, 50 or 100.
08.04.24 – £250m drug bust warning to criminals, say police. An operation to smash a crime gang which brought £250m of heroin and cocaine into the UK will be felt across the country, says the head of a special police unit. The four ringleaders caught by Operation Falcon are now behind bars after pleading guilty to serious drug offences. It followed a raid in September 2023 at a remote farm in north Wales, where police found more than 600kg (1,300lb) of Class A drugs. That was part of up to three tonnes of drugs smuggled to the site near Mold in Flintshire.
11.04.24 – Mexican drug gangs ‘increasingly targeting’ Australia as meth supplies overtake rivals, police say. Drug cartels from North America have overtaken rivals in Southeast Asia to become Australia’s top suppliers of methamphetamine, police said, warning that Mexican gangs are “increasingly targeting” the country. The Australian Federal Police and overseas authorities seized 23.6 tons of North American-produced meth bound for Australia in the 2022-23 financial year, the AFP said in a statement last week. Product from Mexico, the United States and Canada now makes up at least 70% of the meth found in Australia, police have estimated. Meanwhile, Southeast Asian meth fell to less than 15% of seizures of the drug, a highly addictive and potent stimulant.
12.04.24 – 9 arrests in EUR 645 million JuicyFields investment scam case. A joint investigation conducted by several European law enforcement authorities, supported by Europol and Eurojust, has culminated in the arrest of 9 suspects following the notorious “JuicyFields” investment fraud case. On an action day carried out on 11 April 2024, over 400 law enforcement officers in 11 countries executed 9 arrest warrants and conducted 38 house searches. During the investigation and action day, EUR 4 700 000 in bank accounts, EUR 1 515 000 in cryptocurrencies, EUR 106 000 in cash and EUR 2 600 000 in real estate assets were seized or frozen. Law enforcement also seized several luxury vehicles, works of art, cash and various luxury items, as well as large numbers of electronic devices and documents.
13.04.24 – Woman arrested as half a million euros seized in ‘significant blow’ to organised crime group. A woman was arrested in Dublin after gardaí seized around €500,000 in cash in what has been described as a “significant blow” to an organised criminal group. On Friday, as part of ongoing intelligence-led investigations targeting serious and organised crime in the Dublin Region, officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) arrested a woman in her 40s. During the operation, approximately half a million euros in cash, along with a vacuum packing machine and documentation, were recovered.
