Customs officers at the Blace border crossing, upon entry into the country, thwarted an attempt to smuggle a total of 120 kilograms of tobacco for shisha, valued at 384,000 denars, intended for sale on the Macedonian market. A criminal complaint has been filed against the perpetrator, by the Investigation Department, for the offense of “smuggling,” punishable according to the Criminal Code. This prevented an illegal trade of a taxable good, avoiding payment of 744,000 denars in taxes, of which 342,000 denars related to excise duty.
The individual, F.B., a Macedonian citizen, had acquired 480 packages of shisha tobacco, each weighing 250 grams from Pristina, and concealed them in his luggage, placing some in the space designated for the spare tire and covering the rest with a cover. Upon entering the country, when questioned by customs officers about anything to declare, the individual stated he had nothing. Due to suspicion regarding his statement, officers conducted a detailed inspection, during which the undeclared tobacco products were discovered.
To date, the Customs Administration has uncovered four cases of criminal offenses related to smuggling and illegal trade of tobacco products, for which appropriate criminal complaints have been submitted to the competent prosecution. Illegally obtained tobacco threatens public health and undermines legal trade, therefore the Customs Administration continuously conducts operations to prevent attempts at smuggling tobacco and tobacco products.
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Customs officials at Blace successfully prevented the smuggling of 120 kilograms of shisha tobacco, worth 384,000 denars, originating from Pristina, Kosovo. The intended destination was the Macedonian