Prosecutors from DIICOT Iași, together with police officers from the Organized Crime Fighting Department, conducted six home searches on Tuesday in the counties of Suceava and Ilfov, in a case involving the formation of an organized criminal group specializing in counterfeiting currency.
According to investigators, the group was allegedly formed in October 2025 and consisted of four suspects – three Romanian citizens and one Italian citizen.
Special paper brought from abroad and clandestine printing
Investigations revealed that, between October and November 2025, the group members imported hundreds of kilograms of special paper from abroad intended for the production of counterfeit money.
Subsequently, the group leader allegedly purchased high-tech equipment to set up a clandestine printing house in a rural area in Suceava county, according to a DIICOT press release.
Investigators claim that the Italian suspect, known internationally for similar activities, was responsible for training other members and facilitating the procurement of equipment and distribution of counterfeit banknotes, including outside Romania.
Counterfeit banknotes worth 1.2 million euros and a money factory in Suceava
Following cooperation with authorities in Bulgaria, five suspects – the Italian, two Romanians, and two Bulgarian citizens – were apprehended on Monday in Sofia while transporting around 1.2 million euros in counterfeit banknotes, with a face value of 100 euros each.
In the same context, authorities also discovered one kilogram of high-risk cocaine.
At one of the searched locations, investigators found a veritable "money factory" set up in a building under construction.
Printers, electronic components, special paper, and counterfeit banknotes of 50 and 100 euros were seized.
The operations are ongoing, and the suspects are scheduled to be questioned at the DIICOT Iași headquarters.
The operation was carried out with the support of the gendarmes from Suceava and the Special Intervention Brigade of the Gendarmerie.
Investigators specify that the individuals under investigation benefit from the presumption of innocence and all procedural rights provided by law.