All About Counterfeit

BRIEF

Peru Criminals Set Up Phony Govt Agency to Receive Bribes

COUNTERFEIT / 1 MAY 2019

A criminal group in Peru built a phony government office to swindle contractors bidding on a public works project. But the scheme only worked because such projects have long been…

ARGENTINA / 23 JUN 2017

Authorities in Argentina successfully interrupted a major extortion ring in the capital Buenos Aires, in an operation that reveals how longstanding police corruption has contributed to illegal activities in…

COUNTERFEIT / 18 NOV 2016

A recent operation by police in Peru led to the largest seizure of counterfeit dollars in the country's history, illustrating the sophistication and scale of the counterfeiting industry in the…

COLOMBIA / 1 FEB 2016

Colombian authorities say the rising value of the US dollar combined with the economic crisis in neighboring Venezuela has increased the profitability of the counterfeit currency trade, shifting the dynamics…

COUNTERFEIT / 19 OCT 2015

Authorities arrested three Peruvians and an Italian they say were involved in fabricating fake dollars and planning to export them to the United States, shining a light on Peru's lucrative…

COUNTERFEIT / 6 FEB 2015

Police in Peru have reported that seizures of counterfeit dollars in 2014 were twice as high as the previous year, a pattern likely driven by the demand for fake dollars…

COUNTERFEIT / 3 DEC 2014

Police in Peru have disbanded a criminal organization that manufactured counterfeit dollars for markets in Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, and the United States, highlighting efforts by counterfeiters to take advantage of…

COLOMBIA / 15 MAY 2014

A recent study of the illicit liquor market in six countries in Latin America documents the size and scope of a lucrative regional industry for criminal groups that accounts for…

COUNTERFEIT / 5 MAY 2014

Authorities in Peru have confiscated tens of thousands of counterfeit dollars destined for Nigeria, highlighting the use of nations in West Africa as transit points for fake currency as well…

CONTRABAND / 13 FEB 2014

Latin America is home to five of 11 countries identified by the United States as hotbeds of counterfeit and pirated goods -- a hugely profitable trade closely linked to organized…

BOLIVIA / 27 SEP 2013

Authorities in Bolivia have broken up a criminal operation dedicated to producing false local currency, in a case which highlights the spread of counterfeiting and the migration of criminal experts.

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…