Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency, said the joint law enforcement operation successfully disrupted the distribution of counterfeit currency through postal services.

Some 297 parcels were seized, containing nearly one million counterfeit items, including banknotes and coins totalling more than £12,000, €280,000 and $679,000.

The vast majority of the seized items were altered-design banknotes, often referred to as ‘movie money’.

These reproductions have a similar shape and colour to real banknotes, but include a small disclaimer indicating they are fake. However, these disclaimers are often overlooked, allowing criminals to pass them off as genuine currency.

“The operation’s success was driven by the outstanding collaboration between authorities from 18 countries, which helped investigators gain a deeper understanding of criminal methods and trafficking routes,” Europol said.

“Thanks to this joint effort, the operation triggered 102 new investigations targeting criminal networks engaged in currency counterfeiting.”