Marseille Man Gets Suspended Sentence for Fake Euros at Andorra Gas Station

A 35-year-old man from Marseille, residing in France's Midi-Pyrénées region, received an 18-month suspended prison sentence on Wednesday from Andorra's Tribunal de Corts for attempting to circulate counterfeit currency at a Pas de la Casa petrol station.

The incident took place on 1 February 2024, exactly two years ago. The man arrived to refuel and handed over a fake €50 note, which the attendant identified using a verification machine. When informed it was invalid, he produced a second counterfeit bill of the same denomination. Officers arrived to discover a third in his possession, with three more found during a vehicle search.

Police arrested him immediately. With prior French convictions for drug trafficking and armed robbery, the man knew the notes were fake despite his denials, prosecutors argued. Unable to pursue a rapid trial due to the charge's severity, authorities held him for about two weeks in preventive custody at La Comella prison before his release pending investigation.

The court credited that time served as his only effective imprisonment. It also imposed a €900 fine, a five-year entry ban to Andorra, and ordered destruction of the seized notes. The man has not returned to the Principat since.