Italian mafia's fake money factory busted in Romania

Romanian prosecutors from the Directorate for Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) recently discovered a counterfeit money factory in Oradea, in Western Romania. Following searches, the prosecutors held several persons who were part of a mafia clan from Naples, Italy, and also confiscated EUR 13 million. Judicial sources told local news agency Mediafax that earlier this week Italy’s National Anti-Mafia Directorate held three people from the same group and confiscated EUR 19 million. Romania’s DIICOT worked in collaboration with the Italian Anti-Mafia Directorate, but exclusively coordinated the local investigation. During searches in Oradea, prosecutors found some EUR 13 million, in EUR 50 and EUR 100 banknotes, as well as two printing presses, ink and the printing plates for manufacturing counterfeit money, according to the sources cited by Mediafax. The suspects are being questioned at DIICOT Oradea headquarters and are to be brought to Bucharest later today. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com