In Rivne region, the SBU exposed a group, members of which organized the sale of large sums of counterfeit euros, as well as forged state-standard documents. The fake banknotes were made so precisely that special equipment failed to detect the counterfeiting.

Allegedly, the dealers were selling ready-made counterfeit banknotes at 50% of the nominal value on the territory of Rivne and Volyn regions. The group members were looking for clients through personal contacts, and sales were carried out in large batches, at least EUR 10,000 per client.

During the searches of the suspects’ residences and vehicles, the law enforcement seized:

• blanks of Ukrainian passports;
• work permits;
• seals and stamps of state institutions;
• almost seven kilos of raw amber;
• a large amount of cash.

The suspects received suspicion notices of making and sale of counterfeit money. The court chose custody as a type of detention for one suspect, and round-the-clock house arrest – for the other one.

The investigation is ongoing to establish the origin of the counterfeit currency and identify other persons involved in its production and sale.

The illegal activity was blocked by the SBU Office in Rivne region, under the supervision of Rivne Region Prosecutor's Office.