Group busted for cigarette smuggling and illegal medicine imports
Prosecutors charge eight people — including a customs officer — after large seizures of medicines, cash and unstamped cigarettes across three cities.
Prosecutors from the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office for Prosecution of Organized Crime and Corruption (OJO GOKK) have opened an investigation against eight people after a criminal complaint filed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The group is accused of serious offences including smuggling, concealing smuggled goods and customs fraud, manufacturing and distributing harmful medicinal products, offering and taking bribes, and money laundering.
According to the indictment, evidence was partly obtained by analysing the mobile phone of the first suspect, seized during a search in January this year when larger quantities of cigarettes and cash were found: 30,000 Canadian dollars, 35,000 Australian dollars, 12,950 euros and 69,000 denars. The probe indicates that between 2024 and 2026 the first suspect imported unstated cigarettes across the border while avoiding customs control.
“There exists reasonable suspicion that the first suspect promised money to the suspected customs officer so that he would not carry out a customs check on a vehicle in which cigarettes were being transported. The customs officer accepted the promise and let the vehicle pass without control, and the sixth suspect, a Turkish national, mediated in the handover of the money,” the prosecution says.
Seizures: medicines, supplements, cash and valuables
Investigators report that unstamped cigarettes were distributed domestically through collaborators who knowingly resold them. The inquiry also found that part of the group imported, stored and sold medicines and products for sexual performance without authorization. During searches prosecutors seized large quantities of insulin, antibiotics, corticosteroids, hormonal preparations, anticoagulants, benzodiazepines and other medicines used to treat diabetes, heart, rheumatological, neuropsychiatric and respiratory conditions.
Among the items noted were KAMAGRA oral jelly (a prescription medicine) and various gels, pastes, chocolates and tablets marketed to improve sexual function. In a separate description of the searches, prosecutors say that in two metal safes hidden in a lowered ceiling at the first suspect's home they found €86,200 and 16 gold plates; in his vehicle they located another €6,465 and 62,000 denars. Other searches of the remaining suspects yielded cigarettes and goods suspected to originate from smuggling.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs says that, acting on orders from the Basic Criminal Court of Skopje, searches were carried out at multiple addresses in Skopje, Tetovo and Gevgelija. Six people were detained in the operation and officers seized more than €100,000, 16 gold plates, unstamped cigarettes and tobacco, a large quantity of illegally imported medicines and supplements, and several mobile phones.
Prosecutors have requested pre-trial detention for three of the suspects and proposed precautionary measures for three others. Two members of the group remain unavailable to law enforcement. The Ministry has filed a criminal complaint naming eight suspects: M. S. (52) from Tetovo; Z. S. (42) from Gevgelija; A. S. (38) from Skopje; B. Lj. (46) from Tetovo; E. A. (55) from Skopje; D. Dzh. (46) from Tetovo; B. A. K. (34) and S. S. (42), both citizens of the Republic of Turkey. All seized items and cash relevant to the case have been confiscated and will undergo further forensic analysis.
Photo: press material from the event
