On 15 June, EUROPOL experts on combating euro counterfeiting held meetings in Pristina with representatives of the Kosovo Police International Law Enforcement Cooperation Unit (ILECU), the Kosovo Police Directorate for Investigation of Economic Crimes and Corruption, and the Kosovo Forensic Agency to discuss how EUROPOL can support Kosovo in its fight against currency counterfeiting.

The meetings were facilitated by EULEX’s International Police Cooperation Unit (IPCU) and were held upon the initiative of EUROPOL as a follow up on the recent cases of confiscation of counterfeit euro coins and banknotes in Kosovo.

During the meetings, the EUROPOL specialists offered to assist the Kosovo Police in further handling cases of counterfeit of currency, including through financial support about ongoing investigations, forensic analysis of counterfeit euro currency, intelligence on illegal trading platforms, technical examination of raw materials and printing devices that are used for counterfeiting, and a mobile toolkit to provide on-the-spot technical support and expertise in dismantling illegal print and mint shops.

EULEX’s IPCU will continue to support the Kosovo Police in the field of international police cooperation by facilitating the exchange of information with INTERPOL and EUROPOL and the Serbian Ministry of Interior. From June 2018 until 14 June 2021, EULEX has received 502 requests related to the exchange of information between Europol and the Kosovo Police and 743 requests related to the information exchange between the Kosovo Police and the Serbian Ministry of Interior in line with the protocol on police cooperation between the two entities. The Mission also facilitates the exchange of information between the National Central Bureaus of Interpol and the Kosovo Police's International Law Enforcement Coordination Unit under the umbrella of the Interpol Liaison Office within UNMIK. From 15 June 2018 to 14 June 2021, EULEX staff members working in the Interpol Liaison Office within UNMIK received 3076 requests.