Skopje, 17 May 2023 (MIA) - Following a several-month criminal investigation operation, the Department for Suppression of Organized and Serious Crime in coordination with the Department for Special Police Operations and together with teams from the Customs Administration, led by a competent public prosecutor from the Public Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime and Corruption, conducted on Wednesday a coordinated police operation, and cracked down on three criminal groups whose members include people from Skopje, who were involved for a long period of time in committing crimes in the area of illegal drugs and weapons trafficking.

After obtaining search warrants issued by a pre-trial judge, police searched 27 locations in Skopje, and detained 15 people, aged between 20 and 54, all from Skopje, while three people are sought after, the Ministry of Interior said in a press release. During the searches, police seized cocaine and marijuana in several locations, which are the subject of forensics, as well as ammunition, a gun, passenger motor vehicles, a large sum of foreign currency, denar money, and mobile phones. 

According to the Ministry of Interior, a criminal indictment has been filed against 18 people from Skopje for 20 crimes including "unauthorized production and placing on the market of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors" and "unauthorized production, possession and trafficking in weapons or explosive substances".

"During the criminal investigation, it was established that the purpose of the formation of the three organized criminal groups was acquisition of illegal property resulting from the committed crimes. During the investigation, sales of narcotic drugs, weapons and ammunition were documented in several different cases," reads the press release.

The people are currently detained at the police station, and will be brought before a competent judge after evidence material is completed.

Photo: MIA

Video: Ministry of Interior