A convoy of trucks and vans transported around 30 tons of seized marijuana from Strumica in North Macedonia today, local media reported.
Police in Strumica have raided two medical marijuana growing companies, and according to media reports, they are linked to marijuana seized in Serbia and the brother of Zoran Zaev, the former Prime Minister of North Macedonia, N1 reports.
According to unofficial information, around 40 tons of marijuana have been seized in North Macedonia in the past two days.
Nine tons and over 1.300 bottles of manufactured cannabis oil (semi-finished product) were seized in Skopje, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior said. The drugs were seized in premises used by the company "Alfafarm", whose owner Ivan Dragnić was arrested for the seizure of marijuana in Serbia.
The second seizure of over 31 tons of marijuana and biomass was in the Strumica region, the spokesperson said briefly.
21 tons of marijuana were seized from the company "CBD Medplant" from Borisovo in Novo Selo. The company has been in existence since 2018, and its owners are Kolje Vasilev, Hristijan Kotev, Aleks Gomeš, Dobrinka Kiriljeva and SGB Properties SA, N1 reports.
Toni Kotev, the father of Hristijan Kotev, is the former president of the SDSM branch in Novo Selo. The media writes that the real owner of "CBD Medplant" is Toni Kotev, aka M'gčev. He allegedly also has close business contacts with Vice Zaev, the brother of former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, and Gidan Kolev, the media reported.
The investigation in North Macedonia should provide answers about who was involved in the smuggling of five tons of marijuana into Serbia, but also what was planned for the 40 tons that were seized.
Sources told TV Telma that the way it was produced, stored, and preserved could not possibly be for medical purposes, but only for street use, sale, or smuggling.
This is the largest seizure of marijuana since the country gained independence. After the operation is completed, information is expected from the prosecution and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia.
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