Colombia Counterfeiting Raid: 5 Arrested As Authorities Seize Millions In Fake Euros, Dollars And Pesos In Bogota

Authorities seized millions in fake currency Saturday during a raid on the headquarters of a suspected counterfeiting operation in Bogota, Colombia, on Saturday, Colombian news outlet El Espectador reported. The raid was the result of a joint task force composed of officials from Colombia’s national police, the United States Secret Service and Europol.

Five Colombian nationals, including the group’s mastermind, were arrested in the raid, which unfolded after the U.S. Secret Service alerted Colombian authorities to the counterfeiting group’s activity. Police recovered fake currency totaling 11 million in Colombian pesos, 2.3 million euros and $1.1 million, El Espectador reported.

Aside from the fake money, authorities also found a number of printers, paper, ink and security threads of the sort used in currency production.