Customs officers at the Bllatë border crossing have thwarted an attempt to smuggle more than 3,000 needles, along with other tattoo equipment.

The Customs Administration announced that the goods were found during a detailed inspection of a transport vehicle entering the country. According to the institution, the driver had attempted to bring them into the country illegally.

In addition to the needles, the inspection uncovered 60 packages containing a total of 7.2 liters of tattoo ink, 150 tubes of ointment, as well as tattoo accessories.

The entire quantity of goods has been seized, while the case will be processed further in accordance with legal provisions.

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A Greek citizen was stopped at the “Tabanoc” border crossing after customs authorities discovered €124,250 in the German-plated vehicle he was driving. The Customs Administration said the case involved an attempt to illegally transfer money.

Upon entry, the individual had declared only €60,000 and presented the relevant form issued upon entering the Republic of Serbia. However, a detailed inspection carried out by customs officials in cooperation with a Frontex police officer revealed an additional €64,250 that had not been declared.

According to the official announcement, suspicions regarding the citizen’s declaration led to a detailed search of the vehicle, where the entire amount of €124,250 was found. Under the Law on Foreign Exchange Operations, the €60,000 that had been declared was returned to him, while the undeclared €64,250 was confiscated. Misdemeanor proceedings have been initiated against the Greek citizen before the competent court.

The Customs Administration also announced that 30 cases of illegal currency transfers have been recorded during this year. In these cases, €820,675, £141,300 and A$35,000 have been confiscated.

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A significant quantity of cigarettes was seized during an operation by customs authorities at the Bogorodica border crossing. During the inspection of a heavy transport vehicle, 5,000 cigarette packs were found, with an estimated value of 9 million denars.

Sources from the Customs Directorate reported that the truck driver, a Serbian citizen, was arrested. He is accused of attempting to import goods illegally, and a criminal complaint has been filed against him with the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Gevgelija on suspicion of the criminal offense of smuggling.

According to official data, the vehicle was declared in transit from Greece to Serbia. Accompanying documentation indicated that the cargo consisted of construction materials, specifically stone wool. However, a thorough inspection revealed the presence of 100 unmarked packages, each containing 50 packs of cigarettes without fiscal stamps, carefully hidden within the pallets of the reported goods.

With the completion of this operation, the customs institution reiterates its continuous commitment to the fight against illegal tobacco trade and to blocking criminal activities that extend beyond national borders.

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A considerable amount of Swarovski jewelry, with a total value of 333,000 denars, was seized by customs authorities at the border crossing point near Skopje International Airport. The discovery was made during the control procedures of a traveler who had just arrived in the country.

According to Customs’ announcement, the passenger in question is a citizen of North Macedonia who traveled from Zagreb. In order to avoid paying import duties, she chose to pass through the green channel instead of the red one. After being selected for a more detailed inspection, the woman declared to customs officers that she had no goods to declare. However, after X-ray screening and a physical baggage check, 23 Swarovski jewelry items were found.

The case was immediately referred to the Investigation Department within the Control and Investigations Sector, which has filed criminal charges against her. She is accused of the criminal offense of “smuggling,” which is punishable under the current Criminal Code.

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Customs Administration Director Boban Nikollovski announced today that 12 attempts to smuggle more than 27,000 pharmaceutical products and medical devices have been recorded this year.

According to him, these cases demonstrate that the work of Customs is not limited to revenue collection but also has a direct impact on safeguarding the health and safety of Macedonian citizens.

Nikollovski stressed that, in addition to curbing illegal trade, the seizure of medicines is also an essential preventive measure to protect public health.

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According to him, the institution he leads has been given full room to act on every issue. He underlined that, as part of the state apparatus led by Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, they have a free hand to work on everything.

Nikollovski said they are handling a case which, according to him, no one at Customs had previously been willing to engage in or had any interest in working on.

He further stressed that, once the entire case is closed, it will be possible to collect millions from the avoided taxes. He also expressed hope that, in cooperation with the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Prosecuting Organized Crime and Corruption, they will reach not only the perpetrators, but also the clients.

He went on to announce that during this year, starting from June, the Investigations Department of the Control and Investigations Sector has filed 91 criminal charges./telegrafi/

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The Customs Administration said that strengthening border management at the crossings with Albania, through more functional controls and trade facilitation, is expected to help accelerate regional integration into the EU.

According to the Customs Administration’s statement, the focus of the customs administrations’ engagement will be the advancement of procedures to be defined by the new Protocol for the implementation of the Agreement between the two states on joint border crossing points.

Delegations from both customs institutions, led by Boban Nikollovski and Besmir Beja, together with senior OSCE representatives, carried out an inspection of how management functions at the Qafë Thanë border crossing point. After that, the three parties also held a meeting where the practical implementation of the Agreement and the Protocol was discussed.

Nikollovski stressed that cooperation with Albania has already become a genuine partnership, built on mutual trust, open communication and a shared understanding that efficient border administration is of key importance for economic development, regional connectivity and the security of the two countries and the region. He added that the signing of the Protocol should lead to shorter waiting times, faster trade flows, increased confidence from the business community, as well as quicker movement of travelers and goods.

Beja, Director of the Customs Administration of the Republic of Albania, said that meetings of this kind show that progress is achieved when both sides act together.

He stated that cooperation between the customs administrations is the best example of how conditions can be improved both for citizens and for the business community in both countries. According to Beja, North Macedonia’s Customs Administration enjoys a good reputation as an institution that has made the greatest progress. He added that the Protocol will coordinate customs processes and enable the joint use of available resources, which directly serves better controls and trade facilitation.

Eduard Anderson, head of the Police Reform and Criminal Justice Programme at the OSCE Mission to Skopje, said it was a privilege to be part of a historic event that “not only advances joint action, but also increases the security of the citizens of both states.”

The Customs Administration’s statement also highlighted the remarks of Darko Angelov, head of the Security Cooperation Department at the OSCE Mission in Tirana, who said the Protocol represents the successful completion of a decade of cooperation in border management, built and continuously improved with the support of the OSCE missions in Macedonia and Albania. He added that a long road has been traveled since the establishment of the first police contact center for cooperation, which has now also been expanded to the customs section at the Qafë Thanë border crossing.

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