North Macedonia dismantles EU-linked luxury car smuggling ring

SKOPJE, Dec. 30, 2024 – Authorities in North Macedonia have taken down a criminal network accused of smuggling luxury cars from European Union countries. The operation, carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in collaboration with the Public Prosecutor's Office, led to multiple raids on Sunday across cities including Skopje, Negotino, Dojran, and Bitola.

Officials say ten individuals are suspected of involvement, including two vehicle registration officers accused of facilitating the illicit trade. The suspects are alleged to have used forged documents and counterfeit license plates to smuggle vehicles under international investigation or those that bypassed customs controls.

“These individuals registered the vehicles locally and resold them multiple times to conceal their origins before selling them to end users,” the Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.

The investigation revealed that the group operated between 2021 and 2022, targeting high-end vehicles. Authorities uncovered evidence of forgery, abuse of official positions, and customs fraud.

One of the suspects, a Greek national, will be prosecuted in Greece under prior agreements between Skopje’s Public Prosecutor’s Office and Greek authorities.

Following the raids, officials announced plans to pursue legal action against all ten suspects.