The Bitola Sector for Internal Affairs (SIA Bitola), in cooperation with the Department of Criminal Police at the Bureau of Public Security, filed criminal charges with the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office Bitola against V.P. (40) from the village of Stenje, Resen region; G.M. (54) residing in Skopje; one unidentified person (third suspect); and V.M. (51) from Ohrid, on suspicion of committing criminal offenses.
Criminal charges were filed against the first, second, and third suspects for the criminal offense of “Fraud,” punishable under Article 247 of the Criminal Code, while the fourth suspect is charged with “Aiding” under Article 24 in connection with Article 247 of the Criminal Code.
On 05.02.2026, on “Mavrovo” Street in Bitola, the first, second, and third suspects misled a 72-year-old woman from Bitola by falsely claiming that her daughter-in-law had been seriously injured in a traffic accident and that money and gold were urgently needed for surgery. The victim handed over gold jewelry to the first suspect, who later passed the items to the second suspect. The damage caused amounts to approximately 40,000 denars.
On 06.02.2026, near the Clock Tower in Bitola, they used the same method to deceive a 76-year-old woman and her husband, taking approximately 430,000 denars from them.
In the period from November 2025 to 21.02.2026, the second suspect and the fourth suspect transported and delivered the money obtained through the scams to the Republic of Bulgaria, specifically to Sofia, handing it over to the third suspect, while keeping part of the funds for themselves.
Through scams committed in several cities across the country, the suspects gained unlawful financial benefit amounting to approximately 3,700,000 denars.
A pre-trial judge at the Basic Court Bitola has ordered an eight-day detention measure for G.M., while the first suspect is already serving a detention measure.