News Criminal Defence 18th Mar 2022

Gavin Irwin and Sarah Przybylska act in ‘UK’s biggest ever’ banknote counterfeiting case

Gavin and Sarah’s client was acquitted yesterday in the case that hastened the end of the paper £20 note.

In January 2019, the Bank of England identified a new-variant, counterfeit £20 note and within months had removed £1.6M from general circulation.

In May 2019, police executed a search warrant at a print works in Kent and discovered >£5M worth of the notes, close to completion, together with the sophisticated equipment needed simulate the metallic parts of genuine banknotes.

The organised crime group operating the scheme, with the assistance of encrypted telephones, then ‘dumped’ a further £5M worth of the notes at various sites in London and Kent in order to evade detection.

Covert surveillance revealed the architecture of the conspiracy, leading to three men pleading guilty and five being tried at Woolwich Crown court over two months.

Counsel were instructed by Jacob Smyth at Russell Cooke LLP.

Press coverage here: BBC News | Daily Mail


 


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