A recent takedown of counterfeiting operations in Peru, is the largest ever conducted by the United States Secret Service. The raids involved more than 1,500 Peruvian National Police officers searching 54 locations and making a total of 48 arrests. Counterfeit U.S. Dollars, totaling almost 30 million, and 50,000 Euro’s were seized. More importantly, 6 plants were shut down and the production equipment which included 8 manufacturing presses and 1,600 printing plates and negatives were confiscated. This should put a serious dent in the manufacturing and distribution of fake dollars.
Biggest Counterfeit Market
Peru accounts for nearly 60% of the estimated $3 billion in counterfeit money circulating globally. Peru is the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of counterfeit U.S. currency. Operation Sunset, led by the Secret Service, was a global investigation that targeted six Peruvian-based criminal organizations.
Counterfeiting currency is big business for organized criminals the world over and saps away from the financial stability of economies. Investigations such as Operation Sunset go a long way to protect nation’s financial infrastructures and the confidence in money. Cross border cooperation between countries is the very best way to interdict these activities in the physical printing of fake money. Congratulations to the Secret Service and Peruvian authorities for a momentous effort, resulting in the biggest and most important bust to date.
Images provided by the U.S. Secret Service: https://www.secretservice.gov/press/gallery/
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