A 17-year-old boy was arrested in Machico by the Judicial Police with 3,352 counterfeit notes.
According to a statement issued by the PJ, the individual is “strongly indicted for the crimes of acquiring counterfeit currency to be put into circulation and preparatory acts for counterfeiting”.
The investigation took place after the detection of 597 counterfeit notes, worth more than 20 thousand euros, which were detected in a CTT Postal Distribution Center, with the young man arrested as the recipient.
The PJ also reported that the arrest was made by the Criminal Investigation Department of Madeira, as part of a house search. The aforementioned notes, with face values of 20 and 50 euros, totaling around 133 thousand euros, were confiscated, as well as two money counting machines and a note detection device”.
During the searches, inspectors also found objects intended for counterfeiting payment cards or other devices that allow access to a payment system or method, including 109 white cards with chips and equipment that reads bank card data, goods and equipment that were also seized.
Cell phones, computers and around 7 thousand euros in cash were also confiscated.
The detainee will be brought before a judicial interrogation to apply the coercive measures deemed appropriate.