Skopje, 30 September 2024 (MIA) — Customs agents over the past week foiled several attempts to smuggle into or out of the country various prescription drugs and ointments, iPhones, Rolex watches, foreign currency, cosmetics and other contraband, the Customs Administration said in a press release.

During a customs check of a bus with Turkish license plates, customs officers discovered a total of 20,184 XARELTO, JARDIANCE, NEXIUM, LAROXYL, DAROB, BEKONIS, PLAGUENIL, and GLAVUS MET pills; 2,880 МUSCOFLEX, QALYUIZ, and URSACTIVE capsules; 159 LANTUS SOLO STAR, and RIF injections; 35 tubes of FUCIDIN 2%, DERMOVATE 0.05%, FOSTER, METRIN 5% cream and 12 tubes of VOLTAREN EMUL GEL %1, and FENISTIL gel; 37 MOMETIX AQ 0.05% and VENTOLIN spray bottles; 36 NOOTROPIL ampoules; 28 bottles of CONVULEX, TEGRETOL, VENTOLIN, NOOTROPIL, ZIMAKS, and AERIUS syrup; and 14 MOMECON 0.15% lotions.

The bus was traveling from Istanbul to Prizren and crossing the border at Deve Bair. Charges will be filed against the tour guide, a Kosovo citizen who claimed ownership of the medicines, the release says.

A Macedonian citizen who arrived at the Skopje International Airport from Istanbul was discovered carrying five undeclared iPhone 16 mobile phones. Stopped at the VIP terminal and asked if he had anything to declare, he said he was only carrying sweets for his children.

A Macedonian citizen who was flying to Milan from the Skopje International Airport was discovered trying to smuggle out of the country four Rolex wristwatches in her backpack.

Customs agents at the Tabanovce border crossing caught three Macedonian citizens traveling out of the country with more than the legally allowed EUR 2,000 in cash per person and seized EUR 16,250 in total.

The first person was traveling on a bus and had EUR 8,300 in his wallet. The second person was driving a car with Macedonian license plates and had EUR 7,850 in his pants pocket. The third person was also driving a car with Macedonian license plates and had EUR 6,100 in his front jeans pocket, the release says.

Mobile customs teams at Tabanovce caught a truck trying to smuggle 11 boxes of cosmetic items, including 1,851 creams against freckles, 30 anti-aging creams, and 30 lipsticks.

Customs agents at Deve Bair seized 16 unsigned artworks in the car with Macedonian license plates driven by a Macedonian citizen who was trying to enter the country without declaring the paintings.

Other contraband seized over the past week includes fishing rods and lures, porcelain tiles, T-shirts, leggings, sweatpants, shirts, vests, socks, sneakers, and backpacks, the Customs Administration release says. mr/