On 21 July 2026 at 12:25 p.m., police officers from the Border Crossing and Border Surveillance Police Station Bogorodica arrested S.S. (35) from Strumica on Partizanski Odredi Street in Gevgelija on suspicion of committing the criminal offenses of "migrant smuggling" and "document forgery."
The suspect was found driving an Audi A5 with Kavadarci license plates that belonged to another vehicle. During an inspection, officers discovered five migrants from Afghanistan inside the car, along with Albanian license plates, a vehicle registration certificate, a Green Card insurance document, and a rental agreement from a car rental company. A public prosecutor was informed, and the suspect was detained at a police station.
Later the same day, at 5:50 p.m., on the Gradsko–Prilep expressway, police officers from the Mihajlovo Border Surveillance Police Station and the Veles Police Department signaled a Mercedes with Skopje registration plates to stop after suspecting it was transporting migrants. The driver ignored the order, continued driving, and lost control of the vehicle near the Krushevica interchange, crashing into the roadside barriers. The driver and the migrants fled the scene, abandoning the vehicle.
Shortly afterward, officers located two injured migrants from Pakistan near the crash site. They were transported to the hospital in Kavadarci, where they received medical treatment, and were subsequently transferred to the Reception Center for Foreigners in Gazi Baba.
Following further investigative measures, at 1:00 a.m. on 22 July 2026, police officers stopped a Volkswagen Golf with Skopje registration plates on the Prilep–Gradsko expressway, near the Krushevica interchange. The vehicle was driven by A.M. (30) from Skopje, while the passenger was I.N. (34) from Skopje, residing in the village of Krushopek. Based on reasonable suspicion of involvement in the offense, I.N. was arrested and taken to a police station.
After the cases are fully documented, appropriate criminal charges will be filed against both suspects.