Deve Bair, 04^th July 2010

 

 

The customs officials of the Operational Matters Department (Mobile Units), on 04^th July 2010 prevented an attempt for smuggling of 1294 items of silver jewellery with stones, pearls and marquisette, originating in Thailand, including:  

 

          -462 necklaces;

          -258 rings;

          -282 pendants;

          -244 pairs of earringsпара обетки;

          -18 bracelets;

          -21 brooches;

          -5 ornamental buttons for shirts;

          -4 watches;

 

 

More precisely,

 

Yesterday (04.07.2010), about   03:00 after midnight, one bus with Turkish license plates circulating on route Istanbul-Struga  was declared at entrance into Macedonia. The bus was driven by two drivers (one Serbian and one Turkish citizen), accompanied by one Macedonian citizen who was traveling in function of server (cleaner).

 

During the scanning and analysis of the scanning picture, it was established that in the back area of the bus, or more precisely under the final back seat, there was specially made place for concealment with dimensions covering the places of the two back right seats. The detailed search of this place for concealment led to detection of the above mentioned goods, wrapped in 12 bags of naylon, covered by indigo and scotch tape.

 

In the  preliminary proceedings, the inspectors of the Customs Administration established that on the basis of previous agreement with third person in Turkey, the Macedonian citizen (cleaner) should transport the jewellery to Struga, for compensation of  50 euros per kilo (300 euros in total).  This person and his acquaintance from Istanbul, in absence of the drivers and without their knowledge, have made special place for concealment in the area of the beck seats, where they put the 12 packages.

 

The silver jewellery and the bus Mercedes Benz were seized. Against the Macedonian citizen the Customs Administration brought criminal charges for committed act “smuggling”.