DUBLIN, Ireland - Gardai froze over €73,000 following a special investigation into counterfeit €2 coins in Dublin, which resulted in many searches.

Scammers have primarily targeted people digitally in the last 18 months, but this is the first large seizure of counterfeit coins in this area by Gardai.

At the end of last month, one person was arrested and taken to court.

"Following an investigation into the circulation of counterfeit €2 coins by An Garda Sochna in the Raheny Garda District, several searches were carried out at the end of July 2022," a Garda spokesperson said. During these searches, €2 coins with a face value of €2,920 were discovered. These coins have been examined and found to be counterfeit. This is the jurisdiction's first large seizure of counterfeit coins.

"As a result of this operation, one person was charged and brought before the courts in July 2022, and assets worth €73986.62 were frozen in bank accounts."

Gardai also provided advice on how to tell a fake coin from a genuine piece of money.