The Umansky Law Firm

Although this has nothing to do with the US that we know of, an interesting fraud case has been uncovered in Germany.

According to Frankfurt's prosecutors' office, in early 2010, a Lufhansa Airlines stewardess was found with a bag full of one and two eruo coins. She was apparently struggling to lift it at an airport when her bag was searched. Airline cabin crew members do not have a weight limit on their baggage.

This find set off an investigation in Germany that stretched all the way to China, and uncovered a vast forgery ring. Lufthansa employees have been investigated as part of this ring, and six people in Germany were arrested today. Four of the six are Chinese nationals.

Authorities suspect those involved smuggled euros, or pieces of euros, that were taken out of circulation from Germany to China where they had been sent as scrap metal. When euros are taken out of circulation, the inner part of the coin is removed from an outer ring, which then effectively turns them into scrap.

In China, the coins were reassembled and then exchanged for a total of 6 million euros at the Bundesbank. Bundesbank employees are not suspected of being part of the forgery ring.

The Bundesbank is the only institute in Europe that exchanges damage euro coins with new ones for free.

Investigators who raided the residences and offices of suspects found around three metric tons of pieces of coins and a machine that puts them back together.

If you are in this country, specifically Florida, and have been charged with forgery or theft, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Umansky Law Firm for an initial case consultation today.