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4 clusters · 14 sources · 30 days · First seen · Last updated

North Macedonia organized crime and corruption efforts

Overview

North Macedonian officials have initiated efforts to combat organized crime and corruption. At a regional conference organized by the OSCE Mission in Skopje, government ministers called for coordinated Southeast European responses to address criminal networks operating within prison systems. Minister of Internal Affairs Panče Toshkovski noted that criminal structures maintain influence through networks even after incarceration, citing vulnerabilities like overcrowding and staff corruption. Minister of Justice Jeton Shasivari highlighted recent domestic reforms, including the creation of prison intelligence units and significant investments in facility construction.

Following these discussions on institutional coordination, authorities launched an investigation into what is being described as the ‘copper mafia’. This operation seeks to identify individuals involved in illegal activities related to copper resources and determine the scale of these illicit operations.

In a significant development, Interior Minister Panče Toshkovski announced the dismantling of a major organized criminal group following a large-scale police operation. While initial reports focused on property crimes and thefts across North Macedonia and several European Union member states, including Spain and Greece, subsequent details from raids across Prilep, Skopje, and Struga have expanded the scope of the investigation.

The group is now accused of large-scale drug trafficking involving marijuana and cocaine, as well as money laundering. Authorities report the group used specialized roles to purchase real estate and disguise illicit proceeds as legal income. Seized items include narcotics, weapons, ammunition, foreign currency, and metal detectors. Investigations suggest the group’s activities expanded significantly over the last eight months, with some weapons reportedly sourced from Albania. Approximately 21 individuals are expected to be included in the initial criminal indictment, and authorities continue to investigate allegations that certain police officers may have assisted the group by leaking information.

Entities

Prilep · Ministry of Internal Affairs · Pançe Toshkovski · European Union · OSCE Mission to Skopje

Claims

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

Timeline

  1. about 18 hours ago

    [CRIME] 6 sources
    North Macedonia police dismantle organized crime group

    North Macedonian police arrested 21 people following raids on 36 locations in a crackdown on an organized crime group involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.

  2. about 21 hours ago

    [CRIME] 5 sources
    Prilep police operation dismantles long-running organized crime group

    North Macedonian authorities dismantled a major organized crime group in Prilep that operated for 15 years across North Macedonia, Greece, and Spain, involving 21 suspects and potential police complicity.

  3. 13 days ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    North Macedonia launches crackdown on ‘copper mafia’

    Authorities have launched a crackdown against a ‘copper mafia’ to identify those involved in illegal copper-related activities.

  4. 30 days ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    North Macedonian ministers call for regional fight against prison organized crime

    North Macedonian ministers called for regional cooperation to fight organized crime in Southeast European prisons, citing the need for intelligence sharing and institutional integrity.

Sources

24-ore.com · 360stepeni.mk · almakos.com · alsat.mk · denesmagazin.mk · lokalno.mk · press24.mk · rtsh.al · shenja.tv · tetovasot.com · ts.mk · vesnik.com · vijesti.me · vreme.mk

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history