The expert analysis shows that these are banknotes that have been circulating across Europe for the past 15 years and are distinguished by their very high quality.
More than €40,000 in counterfeit euro banknotes have been seized by police in Sofia over the past two days. Fake Bulgarian lev (BGN) notes have also been detected circulating in the retail network, particularly at petrol stations. The quality of the forgeries is reportedly very high, capable of deceiving even experienced cashiers.
Yesterday, a Serbian national with permanent residency in Bulgaria was detained in the capital’s Tolstoy residential district. The suspect had been under police surveillance for several days following operational intelligence. Upon his arrest, officers discovered €32,000 in counterfeit notes, all in denominations of €100 and €200. He was apprehended while attempting to sell part of the fake currency in exchange for levs at a favourable rate for the buyer.
The operation began late last week, when another suspect — a Bulgarian citizen of Syrian origin — was arrested on Hristo Botev Boulevard, near Vazrazhdane Square, while trying to sell €10,000 in forged notes of the same denominations. Forensic examination confirmed that the seized currency matches a type of counterfeit circulating across Europe for the past 15 years, known for its exceptionally high quality. Even trained exchange-office cashiers have been misled into accepting them as genuine.
Lyubomir Nikolov, Director of the Sofia Directorate of the Interior (SDVR):
“I would like to take this opportunity to warn all members of the public that in the coming months there will most likely be an increase in the exchange of funds from levs to euros, and urge them to use only licensed financial institutions. The counterfeit notes currently in circulation are of extremely high quality and can easily deceive even people who consider themselves familiar with the appearance of genuine euro and lev banknotes.”
Photo by BTA
Police have also detained a man for distributing counterfeit 50-lev notes, following a report from a petrol station. Investigators found that he had first used the forged notes in a grocery store, then paid for fuel — totalling 200 leva — with the same counterfeit currency. A large quantity of fake 50-lev notes was later discovered at his home.
According to the police, there has been a sharp increase in reports of such incidents, most frequently from petrol stations.
Поляризиран дебат в Европейския парламент за върховенството на закона в България (ОБЗОР)
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