An in-depth investigation by the Customs Directorate, in cooperation with the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Organized Crime and Corruption and the Public Security Bureau, has uncovered a well-organized cigarette smuggling scheme. According to the data, the damage caused to the state budget by the avoidance of legal obligations amounts to over 377 million denars, or over 6 million euros.
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The operation focuses on the period January-June 2024, when investigators uncovered sophisticated methods for the import, unloading, and illegal release of large quantities of cigarettes onto the market without being registered in the customs system and without paying the relevant taxes.
The investigation includes a broad network of actors, ranging from freight forwarding, transport, and import companies to directly involved individuals, as well as law enforcement officials. In 3 of the 7 identified cases, it was proven that trucks carrying cigarette loads entered the country through the Bogorodica border crossing under the transit regime. Instead of continuing their route according to the rules, the cargo was illegally unloaded within Macedonian territory, while the empty vehicles exited through the Tabanovce border crossing and were recorded as if they were still loaded with goods.
The other four uncovered cases represent an even more flagrant violation: trucks loaded with cigarettes entered through the same border crossing, Bogorodica, but their entry was not recorded at all in either customs or police registers. The goods were then unloaded on Macedonian territory without any accompanying documentation and without undergoing any customs procedure, completely bypassing the payment of duties.
In total, from these seven cases it was established that 69,350,000 cigarettes ended up illegally on the domestic market. Based on the collected evidence and in coordination with the competent public prosecutor, on September 23, 2026, the Customs Directorate filed criminal charges. They were brought against 3 legal entities and 18 natural persons, among them 3 police officers and 4 customs officials. The criminal offenses for which they are accused include “Smuggling,” “Customs Fraud,” “Negligence at Work,” “Abuse of Official Duty,” “Computer Fraud,” and “Excise Duty Evasion.”
The Director of the Customs Directorate, Boban Nikollovski, stated that the investigation clearly proves that the illegal activity involves not only economic operators, but also officials who, by virtue of their duty and legal authority, bear primary responsibility for preventing this type of crime.
