Interior Ministry files charges against three people after October 7 operation in Skopje

Three people have been criminally charged by the Ministry of Interior over an incident recorded on October 7, 2026, at around 8:25 p.m. on Crnogorska Street in Skopje. During the police intervention, marijuana was seized and an officer’s service weapon was taken.

The case began after police obtained operational information concerning suspected marijuana dealing. As part of the operation, police officers ordered a BMW with Skopje license plates to stop.

As the officers approached the car to carry out identification and a search, the driver set the vehicle in motion, crashed into a pole and threw a bag containing marijuana out of the window. At the same time, one of the police officers drew his service weapon and ordered the individuals to stop, identifying himself as a police officer.

The vehicle’s passenger took the weapon from the police officer, while the driver sped away from the scene, according to information from the Ministry of Interior.

Police units in the area began pursuing the BMW, which was traveling at high speed on Gjorče Petrov Street toward the Skopje–Tetovo highway. The vehicle did not respond to the police’s audible and visual signals. During the pursuit, a police officer fired three shots into the air as warning shots.

The pursuit ended after the vehicle crashed into the highway’s protective barrier and overturned. The driver, P.A. (24), and passenger, E.P. (21), got out of the vehicle and were arrested.

Police seized the service weapon and, while searching the area, also found the bag containing marijuana.

On October 14, 2026, in cooperation with the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Skopje, the Unit for Violent Crime at the Skopje Department of Internal Affairs filed criminal charges against E.P. and P.A. for the criminal offenses of “Obstructing an official in the performance of official duties,” under Article 382 of the Criminal Code, and “Unauthorized production and trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors,” under Article 215 of the Criminal Code.

Criminal charges have also been filed against M.T., who is suspected of being linked to the case, for the criminal offense relating to the unauthorized production and trafficking of narcotic drugs, under Article 215 of the Criminal Code.

The Ministry of Interior said that the Department for Internal Control, Criminal Investigations and Professional Standards had also been notified of the incident. The department is carrying out the necessary actions and measures to determine whether any irregularities occurred during the police intervention.