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Authorities in North Macedonia have seized a record 40 tonnes of cannabis after inspections at licensed medicinal plant companies revealed that the method of production, storage, and handling indicated the drug was actually meant for illegal activities.
Officials suspect the cannabis is connected to a recent record seizure in Serbia of about five tonnes of marijuana and weapons, which may have originated in North Macedonia.
The Interior Ministry said inspections at a Skopje-based company uncovered about nine tonnes of marijuana and more than 1,300 bottles of cannabis oil. Investigators also found over 31 tonnes of marijuana and plant biomass at several companies in the eastern part of the country.
The scrutiny intensified after one of the suspects detained in Serbia less than two weeks ago was linked to the Skopje company’s ownership. Health inspectors found major discrepancies between recorded and actual quantities, prompting prosecutors to seize all cannabis on the premises.
The seizures are under investigation by a joint team of police, prosecutors from the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Corruption, customs officials, and the Health Ministry’s supervisory commission.
On January 29, Serbian police reported seizing about five tonnes of marijuana near Kruševac, along with automatic rifles and a rocket launcher. Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said the haul, valued at 7 to 10 million euros ($8.3–11.9 million), involved two suspects arrested for illegal drug production and weapons violations.
North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski called the uncovered irregularities “catastrophic” and said authorities are continuing the investigation. He noted that the Serbia seizure was part of the same network and that the drugs seized in Serbia probably originated from North Macedonia.
