Police in northern Greece have arrested three men accused of flooding local businesses with counterfeit €20 banknotes, dismantling a ring that targeted small shops and kiosks across the region.
The suspects were detained by the Kilkis Security Department after a botched attempt to pass a fake bill at a kiosk triggered a manhunt.
The clerk identified the forgery and alerted authorities, leading police to intercept the trio’s getaway vehicle shortly after they fled the scene.
Investigators linked the group to at least four successful transactions earlier in the day. A search of the suspects and their vehicle yielded 27 counterfeit €20 notes.
A subsequent raid on the Thessaloniki home of one detainee uncovered an additional 17 fake bills, bringing the total seizure to 44 high-quality forgeries.
Authorities also confiscated three mobile phones, the car used in the operation, and €580 in genuine currency—suspected to be the "change" collected from the illicit purchases.
The suspects face felony charges for circulating counterfeit currency and fraud.
They have been referred to the Kilkis public prosecutor and are scheduled to appear before an investigating magistrate this week as police probe potential links to a larger production network.