An Italian man in a garage, alone, printed a quarter of all Counterfeit Euros in Europe

Italian police raided a house in Naples and discovered a hidden printing press behind the garage. To gain access, he built a false wall on rails behind a cabinet, which opened with a homemade electronic switch.

Behind it was a full-scale production line: 31 digital printing presses running nonstop. He printed counterfeit €20, €50, and €100 banknotes worth €11 million. €8 million had already been sold throughout Europe, primarily through France. Police found another €3 million in finished banknotes at the site, awaiting shipment. The European Central Bank confirmed that the counterfeits were so high-quality that even the holograms looked authentic. These banknotes were found in 10 countries before investigators traced them to a single individual in Naples.