Skopje, 19 September 2025 (MIA) - As part of the operation, based on previously obtained orders from the Basic Criminal Court, searches were conducted at several locations in Berovo and one location in Pehchevo. Fifteen persons were taken into custody, including some officials employed at the Interior Ministry, at National Forests public enterprise Maleshevo branch, an official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, as well as individuals involved in cutting and transporting timber.

This refers to the action ongoing Thursday and Friday in the Maleshevo region, namely in Delchevo, Berovo, and Pehchevo, about which the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption announced details Friday afternoon.

As announced by the Prosecutor’s Office, proceedings are being carried out following a criminal complaint filed by the Ministry of Interior, with a public prosecutor from the Specialized Department for Prosecution of Crimes Committed by Persons with Police Authority and Prison Police Officers at Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption in charge.

The prosecutor issued an order to conduct an investigation against 15 persons, six of whom are charged not only with criminal association but also with abuse of official position and authority, while the primary suspect is also being prosecuted for the crime of bribery, and another suspect for accepting a bribe.

The Prosecutor’s Office, outlining details of the case, stated that the criminal group was established in 2025 by two employees of a company, also included in the proceedings, and a police officer. The group’s aim was to unlawfully gain property benefits through abuse of office, bribery, and destruction of forests.

“Together with other suspects working in different institutions (the Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Forests public enterprise, Maleshevo branch, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, and some unemployed persons), they conducted illegal activities that led to the destruction of 6,000 hectares of forest property belonging to National Forests public enterprise, Maleshevo branch,” reads the press release of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption.

As a result of their actions, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, 1.5 million cubic meters of timber were cut, with a value of Mden 6.4 billion, or approximately 104 million euros.

The organizers of the group then transported the illegally cut timber and sold it as legally harvested wood.

According to the investigative authorities, the group received support from police officers who took no action and additionally informed the organizers about police patrols, enabling them to carry out the crime without obstruction.

It has been reported that the primary suspect, in August and September of this year, gave the director of the National Forests public enterprise a bribe of 6,100 euros to allow illegal logging before the public tender for harvesting fire-damaged timber was announced.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, yesterday the suspect in charge notified a group member that the police would intervene, so as to conceal the crime and its perpetrators. That member informed the organizer, who then told those performing illegal logging in the village of Dvorishte to “clean up” the area to remove evidence. The organizer went to the site himself, where he was intercepted and apprehended by the police teams participating in the operation.

The public prosecutor, judging that the conditions for detention were fulfilled, submitted a request to the pre-trial judge at the Basic Criminal Court in Skopje to order pre-trial detention for all suspects.

Interior Ministry reported this afternoon that all 15 suspects have been taken into custody. During searches carried out as part of the operation, approximately 185,000 euros, Mden 318,000, several mobile phones, documents, two hunting rifles and an air rifle, 75 bullets of 12mm caliber, and other items suspected to be connected to the crimes were seized.

Photo: Interior Ministry