Skopje police dismantle vehicle registration fraud ring

North Macedonian authorities have dismantled an organized criminal group involved in a large-scale fraud and money laundering scheme related to vehicle registration and technical inspections. The operation, conducted in Skopje, targeted a scheme that allegedly operated between January 1, 2021, and January 20, 2026.

Investigators report that the primary suspect, the owner of a technical inspection company in Kučevište, submitted false reports regarding fees collected during vehicle registration. These funds, totaling approximately 138.8 million denars (over 2.2 million euros), were diverted from state accounts to private company accounts through an insurance brokerage firm.

The scheme allegedly involved several individuals, including members of the brokerage firm's board, a technical inspection station manager, an accountant, and an assistant director for finance at the Public Enterprise for State Roads. Police raids resulted in the arrest of three individuals and the seizure of cash in euros, denars, Swiss francs, and dollars, along with mobile phones and vehicles.