More than 15 young North Macedonians recruited by Serbian criminal clans and sent to Serbia and Montenegro
Security services identified a pattern of recruitment and cross‑border deployment to Serbia and Montenegro during the past two years.
More than 15 young men from North Macedonia have left for Serbia and Montenegro in the past two years after being recruited by Serbian criminal clans, and have taken part in criminal activity in both countries, security services in North Macedonia say. The pattern was identified by domestic security agencies and prompted a closer investigation into how the recruitment and cross‑border deployment operate.
How the recruitment appears to work
According to the security services, recruiters target vulnerable young people and channel them across the border to criminal groups that use them for a range of tasks. Investigators describe a networked operation that exploits social connections, informal labour offers and transit routes between the three countries.
Those who leave are described as young and often without stable employment, which makes them susceptible to promises of quick earnings or shelter. Once incorporated, some of these recruits have been implicated in offences committed in both Serbia and Montenegro.
The cross‑border nature of the phenomenon complicates law enforcement: cases frequently span jurisdictions, requiring cooperation between North Macedonian, Serbian and Montenegrin authorities. Security officials warn that perpetrators and organisers often remain insulated from immediate arrest by operating through intermediaries.
Authorities in North Macedonia say the discovery of this pattern has led to intensified monitoring of known recruitment routes and of social networks used to approach potential recruits. Preventive measures being discussed include targeted outreach to at‑risk youth and closer information‑sharing with neighbouring states.
Experts and officials stress that reducing the flow will require both domestic social policies to address economic vulnerability and stronger, sustained police cooperation regionally to dismantle the organised structures that profit from recruiting young people.
Photo: press material from the event
