Two metal safes hidden inside a false ceiling in a private home held 86,200 euros and 16 gold-coloured bars. In the same man's car - another 6,465 euros and 62,000 denars. This is not a scene from a film but part of the haul in an operation in which the Prosecutor's Office for Organised Crime opened an investigation into eight people.

One of them is a customs officer.

How the scheme worked

According to evidence gathered in the proceedings, between 2024 and 2026 the prime suspect moved undeclared cigarettes and tobacco through the customs line, dodging inspection. Several people helped him, the investigation says - among them the customs officer, who told him which shifts he was working, which lane he had been assigned to, and when controls were being stepped up.

Part of the investigation concerns a specific bribery case at the Bogorodica border crossing. There are reasonable grounds to suspect the officer was promised money not to inspect a vehicle carrying cigarettes. He accepted, waved the vehicle through, and a Turkish national - the sixth suspect in the case - brokered the handover of the cash.

From cigarettes to "male strength"

Alongside the tobacco, the group also dealt in illegal medicines. Searches turned up large quantities of drugs for diabetes, heart and cardiovascular disease, neurological and psychiatric conditions, rheumatological and autoimmune disease, plus antibiotics, corticosteroids and hormone treatments. And the full range of potency products - pills, gels, pastes, honey and chocolate.

Health Minister Saso Klekovski said the operation centred precisely on the supplements and potency preparations, and that these are products not registered in the country. "These are not medicines but supplements and quack remedies... all of it is connected to cracking down on smuggling and the illegal trade in medicines, supplements and other products that I assume were tolerated for far too long, and that can lead to serious harm," he said.

"Tolerated for far too long"

That sentence from the minister is the most important thing said about this entire case, and the least commented on. These are not products someone smuggled in inside a single suitcase. These are products that were being sold - across several cities, according to the investigation - for long enough that a minister can say publicly that somebody was watching and did nothing.

Who tolerated them? The investigation covers a two-year period and eight people. The inspection and customs services that were supposed to spot the scheme have been running for a lot longer than two years, and employ a lot more than eight people.

What happens next

Criminal complaints have been filed against eight people from Tetovo, Gevgelija and Skopje, plus two Turkish nationals, on several counts including smuggling, concealing smuggled goods, excise evasion, taking and giving bribes, and producing and distributing harmful remedies. The prime suspect also faces a money-laundering charge.

The prosecutor requested detention for three suspects and precautionary measures for three more. Two are currently out of reach of the authorities. The seized items, cigarettes and cash go for forensic examination.

The haul is impressive, and deserves to be. But a safe in a false ceiling does not fill up overnight - it is the product of two years in which the system built to see the scheme did not see it.