A group of investigated bank employees was found to have put counterfeit banknotes into circulation. The police are now searching for counterfeit notes and are warning the public to be aware of the situation. They have informed elderly victims that if they are found with counterfeits, they will receive a certificate to exchange money at FINA.
There are 22 members of the criminal organization against whom an indictment has been filed. The organization is believed to have defrauded 89 senior citizens for a total of 1,045,005 euros from September to November 2023. The police are requesting an extension of pretrial detention for 15 defendants who are being charged with fraud as part of a criminal association.
The group was led by Romano Beganović, who planned a series of frauds and orchestrated joint activities with other defendants to obtain significant non-related material benefits for themselves and others. Beganović gave instructions to some of the other defendants, who called victims and presented themselves as police officers working to protect their property. After gaining the victims’ trust and learning about the amount of money and gold jewelry they had, the other defendants went to their addresses using vehicles provided by Beganović. In the name of an alleged inspection, they took money and gold jewelry from the elders and handed it over to Beganović, who then divided it among themselves.