Assault rifles, assault rifle magazines, a sniper rifle, a sniper rifle magazine, handguns, ammunition of various calibers, a tactical vest, radio communication devices, an official flag of the terrorist organization ISIS, a large quantity of electronic devices and mobile phones, as well as a significant amount of cash in both Macedonian denars and foreign currency were found and confiscated.
Electricity theft was also uncovered during the operation, said the Macedonian Ministry of Interior (MoI) in its report on the major counter-terrorism operation that began Monday.
Searches were conducted at 12 locations in Skopje, and five suspects were arrested.
The operation was carried out by the Department for Suppression of Organized and Serious Crime in cooperation with the National Security Agency (NSA), the Department for Special Police Operations, and the Skopje Police Department (Skopje PD), under the direction of a competent public prosecutor from the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for Prosecuting Organized Crime and Corruption (PPO OCC).
“An organized criminal group from Skopje, involved in committing crimes related to terrorism and illicit arms trafficking, has been dismantled in a coordinated police operation,” the Ministry of Interior announced. Electricity theft was also discovered during the searches, though the Ministry of Interior did not specify at how many locations this was taking place. Separate proceedings are being initiated for this criminal offense.
K.I. (34), an ISIS member, began activities in 2023 to establish an ISIS branch for the purpose of carrying out terrorist acts within the territory of Macedonia.
The organizer indoctrinated young people, disseminated propaganda material containing extreme and radical content, and procured and handled firearms. B.A. (24) and E.S. (30), together with K.I., formed a group involved in the unauthorized possession, brokering, and trafficking of firearms and ammunition, the Ministry of Interior explained.
The Sector for Combating Terrorism, Violent Extremism, and Radicalism, part of the Department for Suppression of Organized and Serious Crime, filed criminal charges with the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for Prosecuting Organized Crime and Corruption against three individuals from Skopje: K.I. (34), for the crimes of terrorism (Art. 394-b, Para. 5 in conjunction with Para. 1) and unauthorized manufacture, possession, brokering, and trafficking of weapons or explosive materials (Art. 396, Para. 5 in conjunction with Para. 3 and Para. 6) under the Criminal Code, as well as against B.A. (24) and E.S. (30) for the criminal offense of unauthorized manufacture, possession, mediation, and trading of weapons or explosive materials (Article 396, Paragraph 6, in conjunction with Paragraph 1) of the Criminal Code.
