4 Bulgarians Arrested in Fake Euro Workshop Raid

4 Bulgarians have been detained within an international police operation targeting a fake euro workshop. Photo by ehow.com

Four Bulgarians have been detained as part of a crime group specialized in the production of counterfeit euro coins and banknotes.

According to an announcement of Bulgaria's Specialized Prosecutor's Office, charges have been pressed against Sergey Asenov Atemin, Todor Georgiev Bekirski and Dimitar Yankov Serbezov.

The three were detained on June 27, 2012 on the territory of the southern Bulgarian district of Plovdiv, within a specialized operation of the Chief Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) conducted under the leadership and supervision of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office and coordinated with Europol and the competent authorities in Greece.

Earlier on the same day, Nikolay Konstantinov Valkanov, leader of the group, and two other members of Greek nationality were arrested in Greece, according to reports of news portal dnevnik.bg.

Valkanov and the two Greeks were arrested as they were handing the fake 2 euro coins.

The coins were imported in Greece via Bulgaria, where their illegal origins were disguised through legal activities.

The coins were produced at a factory producing metal goods.

According to the evidence gathered so far, the crime ring started functioning at the beginning of 2011.

The offenders have also been said to have participated in the production and distribution of fake euro banknotes, as well as in drug trafficking.

The three suspects caught in Bulgaria have been detained for 72 hours and the prosecuting authority will seek remand in custody.

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