Crime
Malaga crime: police uncover fake banknotes lab in young man's homeThe suspect would sell counterfeit money in different European countries through the dark web and receive cryptocurrencies in exchange
Video showing the police during the operation in Malaga. (National Police)Irene Quirante
29/04/2026 a las 12:54h.The National Police have arrested a young man for manufacturing counterfeit banknotes of 20, 50 and 100 euros at his home in Malaga city.
He had been on the police's radar for months, since the Austrian authorities detected the sale of counterfeit money through the dark web to different European countries. In exchange, he would accept cryptocurrencies.
The Austrian authorities, which participated in the investigation alongside the Spanish tax agency and Europol, detected the illegal activity in October 2025. The investigation led the police to a flat in Malaga city centre.
The investigators were able to confirm the shipment of more than 500 counterfeit currency. The sender used false personal details to hinder identification. Germany was apparently one of the main destinations for the counterfeit currency.
The police intercepted one of these shipments when they arrested a young man of Asian origin in another province. He was carrying counterfeit banknotes after receiving a package from Malaga.
After identifying the suspected source of the shipments, the police carried out two raids and searches, locating a laboratory equipped with various materials necessary for manufacturing counterfeit banknotes. They found ink cartridges, holographic paper for 20- and 50-euro banknotes, two manual presses, banknote printing scraps, two guillotines, three rolls of holographic metallic foil, four manual rollers, two embossed watermark stamps, a bottle of OVI ink and screen printing mesh.
In addition, they detected cryptocurrencies worth 143,000 and seized a total of 28,350 euros in counterfeit banknotes. The operation culminated in the arrest of the illegal lab owner.