Skopje, 17 December 2024 (MIA) - The Ministry of Interior's anti-terrorism sector has pressed criminal charges against four persons to the Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime and Corruption. A 21-year-old Gostivar citizen with the initials G.M. citizens is charged with setting up a terrorist organization, while two persons from Gostivar, aged 38 and 27, and another from Struga, aged 32, are charged with participating in the same organization.

The MoI said G.M. set up a terrorist cell following the ISIS ideology at the onset of 2024, with the intention of committing terrorist acts at the territory of North Macedonia.

The other three were members of the organization, alongside several other unknown individuals, with the intention of targeting public facilities within the country. For this purpose, G.M. opened several groups on the Telegram social network, in which he shared ISIS propaganda and recruited new members, attempted to procure firearms, and obtained manuals for improvised explosive devices. The other three took part in the Telegram groups, sharing ISIS materials published in "EN-Nebe" (the ISIS official newspaper), reads the press release.

During the search of G.M.'s premises, the police found and seized a handgun, two laptops, two cell phones and two SIM cards, which have all been handed over to the prosecutor's office. Searches in the home and other premises of the suspects also resulted in the seizure of several cell phones, laptop and desk PC, video recorder, documents, sheets of paper with inscriptions in Arabic and Albanian, a ring with an ISIS logo, books in Arabic language etc.

A pre-trial judge has ordered a 30-day detention for the four persons.

MIA file photo