Attempt to produce counterfeit banknotes with a face value of at least five million US dollars: Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland files indictment against two suspects
Bern, 25.03.2024 - The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has filed an indictment in the Federal Criminal Court against a 72-year-old Swiss national resident in the canton of Thurgau and a 49-year-old Swiss national resident in the canton of Aargau. They are alleged to have jointly built and operated a highly professional counterfeiting workshop in the canton of Zurich, with the aim of producing and thereafter circulating forged 50-dollar banknotes with a face value of at least USD 5 million. The 49-year-old suspect is also charged with the unlawful production of narcotics and with being in possession of just under 300 kg of various types of prohibited cannabis products (drug-type hemp).
In November 2022, the Zurich Cantonal Police inspected a production facility for CBD hemp in Urdorf in the Canton of Zurich. CBD hemp is a legal cannabis product. As part of their regular inspections, the police check known production facilities to establish whether any marijuana containing THC (drug-type hemp) is being cultivated. This product is prohibited if the THC level exceeds the legally defined threshold of one per cent.
In the course of the inspection at the facility in Urdorf, the presence of certain types of equipment gave rise to the suspicion that drug-type hemp was being cultivated and processed in the facility, in addition to legal CBD hemp. The cantonal police therefore conducted a search of the premises. Related searches were also carried out at other locations in the cantons of Aargau and Thurgau. In Urdorf, the Zurich Cantonal Police seized a number of items, including just under 300 kg of various prohibited cannabis products (drug-type hemp) and equipment for their cultivation and processing.
In addition, during the search, the two suspects were caught in the act of producing forged 50-dollar banknotes. The suspects were arrested and criminal proceedings were opened by the Zurich-Limmat public prosecutor. The OAG took charge of the investigation immediately thereafter because of its jurisdiction over counterfeit money offences, continuing the proceedings until the investigation was concluded today with the filing of the indictment.
The OAG has now charged both suspects with acting in concert in attempting to counterfeit money. The 49-year-old is also charged with offences under the Narcotics Act and an offence under the Weapons Act.
Charge of building and operating a counterfeiting workshop
The OAG has charged the two suspects with acting in concert from mid-November 2021 to build and operate a very professionally equipped counterfeiting workshop in the commercial premises run by the 49-year-old suspect in Urdorf in the Canton of Zurich.
According to the indictment, the 49-year-old suspect was responsible for the funding. He is alleged to have invested over CHF 130,000 in the counterfeiting workshop. Given his expertise as a trained book- and offset printer, the 72-year-old suspect is believed to have been responsible for ordering the various printing machines required, as well as other equipment and materials, and for producing the forged 50-dollar banknotes, with his 49-year-old co-suspect providing active support. The evidence suggests that their aim was to produce forgeries that were as perfect as possible. They constantly improved the individual steps in the printing process and were in the course of the final print run at the time the premises were searched. The production of the forged banknotes could not be fully completed because of the search in November 2022 and the subsequent arrest of the two suspects.
Printed sheets were seized in the counterfeiting workshop that were in various stages of production. The face value of these semi-finished products is around USD 8 million.
The two suspects are believed to have intended to produce forged 50-dollar banknotes with a face value totalling at least USD 5 million. According to the indictment, the younger of the two suspects was to put the forged banknotes into circulation and the older suspect was to receive at least CHF 500,000 of the ‘laundered' proceeds in payment for his part in the scheme. The younger of the two suspects would then have been able to freely dispose of the remaining proceeds of the crime.
In these criminal proceedings, the OAG has already secured the legally binding conviction of two further suspects by summary penalty order, on charges of aiding and abetting the attempt to counterfeit the 50-dollar banknotes. The summary penalty orders for complicity in the attempted counterfeiting of money are legally binding and may be inspected by request to the OAG's Legal Services Section, subject to the customary conditions (rechtsdienst@ba.admin.ch).
Charges of offences under the Narcotics Act and under the Weapons Act
The OAG has also charged the 49-year-old suspect with being in possession of over 256 kg of illegal marijuana, over 24 kg of cannabis resin, 16 litres of cannabis extract and several thousand cannabis seeds for cannabis plants, as each of these prohibited cannabis products had a THC level in excess of the statutory threshold of one per cent and thus must be regarded as drug-type hemp.
A pollinator, a press and extraction equipment were also seized in the suspect's commercial premises in Urdorf. According to the indictment, the suspect used these items to produce the cannabis resin and the banned cannabis extract.
As the suspect was also found to be in the possession of a knuckleduster with no lawful excuse, the OAG has further charged him with an offence under the Weapons Act.
Following their arrest in November 2022, both suspects were held temporarily in pre-trial detention, from which they were released in the course of the proceedings. However, the 72-year-old suspect chose to be readmitted to prison in December 2022 in anticipation of receiving a custodial sentence.
The OAG was supported in its investigations by fedpol and the Zurich Cantonal Police and wishes to thank its partners for their valuable cooperation.
From now on, the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona becomes responsible for answering any further media enquiries. As is customary, the OAG will announce the penalties that is proposing at the main hearing before the Federal Criminal Court. The presumption of innocence applies until a legally binding judgment has been issued.
Original text of the press release in German
Address for enquiries
Communications Service of the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland, T +41 58 464 32 40, info@ba.admin.ch
Publisher
Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland
http://www.ba.admin.ch/
