A false Sylvester Stallone passport was found by police investigating the gang. Handout/Reuters
Bulgarian authorities have caught a counterfeit crime gang that allegedly promoted the quality of its illegal documents and banknotes by showing a fake Bulgarian passport bearing the picture of U.S. Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone.
Prosecutors have charged four Bulgarians suspected of belonging to an organized crime ring making and distributing fake documents and counterfeit U.S. dollar and euro bills in the Balkan country.
They were arrested after printing presses and equipment for the production of counterfeit banknotes and documents were found following searches at 30 locations across Bulgaria in a joint operation with Europol and the U.S. Secret Service.
During a search in an apartment in the southern city of Plovdiv, police seized large amounts of high-quality fake euro and dollar bills as well as fake Bulgarian ID cards and driving licences.
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A fake passport of the well-known Rocky and Rambo star Stallone was among the items confiscated during the raids.
"Officers have also seized a Bulgarian passport with the picture of a famous U.S. actor, which was used as a sample to demonstrate to clients the high quality of their counterfeit production," the prosecutors said in a statement.