North Macedonia Customs cracks down on international drug trafficking group, five people detained

An international criminal group involved in the illicit trafficking of drugs has been dismantled following an investigation by the Investigations Department of the Control and Investigations Sector, the Customs Administration of North Macedonia announced. Five people have been detained, while criminal charges have been filed against them for the unauthorized production and distribution of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors.

The operation began based on information obtained by the Intelligence Department. Subsequently, mobile teams from the Operations Department carried out operational activities and, at the Dojran border crossing, while exiting the country, stopped an attempt to traffic 79 kilograms of marijuana believed to have been destined for the Turkish market.

The narcotics were seized, while the truck driver, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was detained by the Investigations Department. In cooperation with the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Corruption, the department launched a comprehensive preliminary investigation to establish the role of all those involved.

According to the investigation, the truck driven by the Bosnian citizen had entered North Macedonia carrying iron profiles that were to be delivered to Greece. Following an earlier agreement with people from North Macedonia, the marijuana was loaded onto the truck at a predetermined location. The vehicle was then sealed with a seal the driver had with him and continued toward Greece via the Dojran border crossing, where it was stopped by mobile units.

“Through this action, the Customs Administration once again confirms that it is systematically fighting crime through robust intelligence, operational activities and detailed investigations,” the Customs Administration of North Macedonia said.