Bulgarian authorities seize fake dollars and euros produced at a printing office in a university

Production of counterfeit banknotes has been discovered on the territory of a higher education institution in Sofia, the prosecutor's office announced on March 16. The amount is 4 million dollars and 3 million and 600 thousand euros.

The activity was carried out by a person who had an employment contract as a printer in this univesity, announced at a briefing the administrative head of Sofia City Prosecutor's Office Iliana Kirilova.

The printing machine was sealed, photo plates with the image of euro banknotes, photo plates with images of excise labels, vehicle registration certificate were seized.

Two people were detained for up to 72 hours - a man and a woman, she added. So far, they have exercised their right not to give explanations.

The operation was organized after a signal from the Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (CDCOC), said the director of Sofia police, senior commissioner Georgi Hadzhiev. Several teams of the police and CDCOC have carried out procedural and investigative actions on the territory of two residential premises in the capital. The printing machine was found in a hall-type room located on the territory of a higher education institution, he specified.

"The value of the seized currency is impressive. The material evidence speaks of serious criminal activity," said Senior Commissioner Georgi Hadzhiev.

The two detainees have no previous criminal record. However, the police have data that they are part of a larger scheme, which is related to the trafficking of specific counterfeit money to Ukraine, (dollars), and of euros to Western Europe, the director of CDCOC, Chief Commissioner Lubomir Yanev, said.

It is not yet clear whether the management of the university were aware of the activities carried out on the territory of the educational institution. Fake documents were also printed, including health books, various packages, advertising materials and other documents, added the director of Sofia directorate of the Ministry of Interior, senior commissioner Georgi Hadzhiev.

The Ministry of Interior and the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office have conducted a joint operation targeting the production of counterfeit dollars and euros in the capital, Bulgaria’s Prosecutor General, Ivan Geshev, announced on his official Twitter account.

"Bulgarian law enforcement institutions continue to actively protect the financial interests of the EU and our US partners," Geshev wrote.

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