WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In what is described as the largest seizure associated with anactive counterfeiting plant in Colombian history, the United States Secret Service and the
Colombian National Police Service (DIJIN), uncovered more than $20 million incounterfeit U.S. dollars on a farm in Toro, near Cali, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2003.
"This is a significant seizure, not only in size, but also because it is an indication of thecontinued strong working relationship that the Secret Service has developed with the
Colombian National Police,"said U.S. Secret Service Director Ralph Basham. "Thisyear alone, we have jointly seized three other counterfeiting plants in addition to this
facility."
Since 1998, the Secret Service and the Colombian authorities have seized more than $150million in counterfeit currency and have dismantled operations that could have produced
billions of dollars in bogus bills. According to Colombian officials, the Toro plant was inthe process of filling an order for $50 million in the counterfeit notes of variousdenominations.
The seizure of the counterfeit $100, $50, and $20 notes was the culmination of a four-monthjoint investigation between U.S. and Colombian law enforcement officials.
According to the Colombian authorities, the counterfeit notes were intended fordistribution in Spain, France, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador and the United States.
Secret Service analysis indicates the counterfeit notes seized at the Toro plant are amongthe most actively passed notes in the world. Overall, more than $30 million in counterfeit
produced at the plant has been passed worldwide.
Eight individuals associated with the plant, including the operation's financier, printerand main distributors have been arrested by the DIJIN.
This was largest and most significant seizure of an active counterfeit U.S. currency plantin Colombia, though larger amounts have been seized from inactive plants. In December
2001, the Secret Service and DIJIN seized more than $41 million in counterfeit justoutside of Bogot.
The Secret Service opened a resident office in Bogota in 1996. As countries throughoutSouth and Central America "dollarize" -- adopt U.S. currency as their own national
currency -- the office expanded its staff and increased its work with Colombianauthorities.
The U.S. Secret Service was created in 1865 with the sole purpose of suppressingcounterfeit currency. While the agency's responsibilities have expanded to include
presidential protection, its investigative mission still focuses on protecting theinfrastructure of the nation's financial systems.
Source: U.S. Secret Service