The Director of the Bureau of Public Security, Aleksandar Janev, today visited the Department of Internal Affairs in Prilep, following the major police operation carried out two days ago, during which an organized criminal group involved in illicit drug trafficking and economic crime was dismantled.
Janev held a working meeting with the police leadership in Prilep and with some of the police officers who had been working for more than a year on the investigation and the implementation of the operation. The meeting focused on analyzing the activities undertaken and the results achieved, as well as the next steps aimed at maintaining security and preventing the re-establishment and strengthening of criminal structures.
In a statement to the media, the Director informed that searches had been conducted at 36 locations as part of the operation, while an additional activity was carried out yesterday at a bank safe, where more than 50,000 euros were found. Of the total of 37 locations, four searches were conducted at the homes of police officers employed by the Prilep Department of Internal Affairs. Motor vehicles were also found and seized during the operation.
“We are all witnesses that a major, complex and comprehensive operation was carried out. This was not an ad hoc operation that was simply supposed to be carried out and then concluded, but rather an operation and investigation that required highly dedicated work. It was long-term, committed, persistent and, above all, honest work. The colleagues standing beside and behind me have had many sleepless nights over a prolonged period of time,” Janev stated.
He informed that a criminal complaint had been submitted to the competent Public Prosecutor’s Office for Prosecution of Organized Crime and Corruption against 21 individuals, while the court in Skopje had ordered precautionary measures for all persons covered by the complaint.
Janev pointed out that the operation was the result of a long-term investigation, evidence gathering and analysis, with activities carried out not only in Prilep, but also in Skopje and Struga.
“What is most important to me as the head of the Bureau of Public Security, and to all my colleagues, is for citizens to know that the myth of the untouchables in Prilep has finally fallen. That is our duty, our mission – no one can hide behind certain connections, relationships or acquaintances and consider themselves untouchable,” the Director of the Bureau of Public Security said.
He expressed his gratitude to the police officers from the Department for Suppression of Organized and Serious Crime, the Bitola Sector for Internal Affairs, the Prilep Department of Internal Affairs, the special police units within the Bureau of Public Security, as well as to all institutions that participated in carrying out the operation.
Janev emphasized that the successful completion of the operation does not mean the end of police activities in Prilep. The investigation will continue, with special focus on the daily and more visible presence of the police on the ground, as well as strengthening cooperation with citizens.
“From today onward, the more difficult part begins. What we came here for has been completed; we carried it out. However, the investigation will certainly continue. What is most important for the local police is what comes next. And what comes next means that we will be present among the citizens every day, and the police will be even more visible,” Janev stated.
The Director called on citizens not to remain silent witnesses to crime, but to report criminal activity and cooperate with the police, emphasizing that trust is built through daily professional work, presence and concrete results.
“When institutions work together, when we share information, when we build teams and when we work honestly, the results come naturally,” Janev said.
