Radovish residents arrested for illegal production of contaminated ice

illegal ice production Escherichia coli food safety Radovish unauthorized water connection

Police in Radovish, North Macedonia, have arrested two 62-year-old men, identified as T. D. and S. D., for the unauthorized and unhygienic production of ice. The suspects allegedly operated as unregistered producers for several years, distributing the product to various legal and physical entities.

Following a court-ordered search of four locations on September 16, 2026, authorities seized approximately 850 kilograms of finished ice, along with four ice-making machines and several freezers. Laboratory analysis revealed that while the raw water used met safety parameters, the finished ice and production equipment were contaminated with Escherichia coli and coliform bacteria, posing a significant health risk.

Investigations also revealed that the production facility utilized an illegal connection to the water supply network to avoid metering. The suspects face criminal charges for the production and distribution of harmful food products under Article 213 of the Criminal Code.

Entities

Agency for Food and Veterinary · Food and Veterinary Agency · Ministry of Internal Affairs · Radovish · Strumica · Strumica-Radovish Police Station

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 4 SOURCES] The suspects produced ice in unauthorized and unhygienic conditions, which was found to contain bacteria. ohridsky.com · press24.mk · plusinfo.mk · sdk.mk
[● 4 SOURCES] Police found four ice cube production machines and an additional freezer in the basement during searches. ohridsky.com · press24.mk · plusinfo.mk · sdk.mk
[● 4 SOURCES] Police filed a criminal complaint against two residents of Radovish, T. D. (62) and S. D. (62). ohridsky.com · press24.mk · plusinfo.mk · sdk.mk
[● 4 SOURCES] The individuals operated as unregistered ice producers for several years. ohridsky.com · press24.mk · plusinfo.mk · sdk.mk
[○ 1 SOURCE] Microbiological analysis confirmed the presence of Escherichia coli and coliform bacteria in the ice samples. press24.mk
[● 4 SOURCES] The water used for production was obtained through an illegal connection to the water supply network. ohridsky.com · press24.mk · plusinfo.mk · sdk.mk