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Authorities in North Macedonia have seized more than 40 tonnes of marijuana in a large-scale operation targeting organised drug production and trafficking, according to police and prosecutors.
The anti-narcotics action late on 5 February included searches at the ALAFARM GROUP factory in Skopje and several sites in the Strumica region. Investigators recovered around 10 tonnes of cannabis near the capital and an additional 30 tonnes from locations in the east of the country.
Local media and law enforcement sources said the scale and condition of the seized marijuana indicated it was prepared for illegal distribution rather than legitimate medical or industrial use.
The operation follows a record five-tonne cannabis seizure in Serbia earlier this month, with authorities in Belgrade reporting the shipment originated in North Macedonia. Serbian prosecutors have identified several suspects connected to that case and issued warrants, including international ones, for alleged organisers.
North Macedonia’s Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime and Corruption said it is working with Serbian counterparts to exchange evidence and establish the full circumstances of the cross-border drug trafficking. Investigators are also cooperating with the country’s Health Ministry commission that regulates medical cannabis cultivation, as part of efforts to clarify whether legally licensed producers were involved.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski has publicly stated he would not be surprised if total cannabis seizures reached 100 tonnes by the end of the ongoing operation, as authorities pursue further sites and companies suspected of involvement.
The case highlights ongoing challenges in supervising medical cannabis production and preventing diversion to illegal markets in the Western Balkans, where such seizures have raised political and legal questions about regulatory oversight and cross-border crime.
Reports are sourced from official documents, law-enforcement updates, and credible investigations.
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