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Police action: Swiss Drug Money were Laundered in Macedonia, Former MP Candidate Arrested
Police action: Swiss Drug Money were Laundered in Macedonia, Former MP Candidate Arrested
January 22, 2015, Thursday @ 20:20 in Crime | Views: 45
Aligega Kujtim (L) is also known in Macedonia as MP candidate from the Diaspora for the Albanian party New Democracy of Imer Selmani. Photo: moi.gov.mk
Interior Ministry’s department in charge of curbing organized and serious crime together with officials of Swiss prosecuting agencies on Thursday raided three locations in Gostivar to collect evidence involving money laundering and other criminal proceeds, following a plan on taking measures in connection to an international investigation into illegal drug trafficking.
Police searched two people and raided a travel agency in Gostivar, MoI said today adding that documents for quick transfer of large sums of money sent from Switzerland to Macedonia werefound during the operation. The operation is still under way. It is expected the two individuals by the end of the day to be brought before a public prosecutor as witnesses.
One of the men who were searched, MoI said, is the brother of a man detained in Switzerland. According to the Swiss police, the suspect had been caught 20 years ago with 300 kilograms of heroin for which he was sentenced to a 18 year prison term. After serving his time, the man was expelled from the country receiving a ban to enter Switzerland.
MoI in 2014 conducted a successful international investigation in cooperation with the Swiss police aimed at catching Macedonian nationals involved in the organization of transport and trafficking of heroin on the territory of Switzerland.
As a result of the investigation conducted in October, 44year old Saiti Sabedin from Kumanovo and 56 year old Aligega Kujtim from Gostivar were taken into custody. Furthermore, nearly 25 kilograms of heroin and CHF 60,000 were seized.
Aligega Kujtim is also known in Macedonia as MP candidate from the Diaspora for the Albanian party New Democracy of Imer Selmani.
During the inquiry in Switzerland, it was concluded that some of the money acquired by selling drugs had been sent to Macedonia with quick money transfers and through couriers.
“In an effort to find evidence related to money laundering, acting upon a request for international legal assistance, cooperation was established between the Swiss public prosecutor’s office and Macedonian authorities tasked with prosecuting organized crime and corruption. It served as a basis to order searches in Gostivar,” stated the press release.
The two men arrested had been surveyed by Swiss authorities in Zurich for a longer period of time because they were suspected of being major players on the Swiss narcotics market. Despite seizing 100 kilograms of heroin, the Swiss authorities were unable to file charges against Saiti and Aligega due to lack of evidence.
It is believed that through money laundering, the two men had managed to amass a fortune of over CHF 2.5 million. The investigation in cooperation with Swiss authorities is under way.
- See more at: Police action: Swiss Drug Money were Laundered in Macedonia, Former MP Candidate Arrested - Independent.mk
Aligega Kujtim (L) is also known in Macedonia as MP candidate from the Diaspora for the Albanian party New Democracy of Imer Selmani. Photo: moi.gov.mk
Interior Ministry’s department in charge of curbing organized and serious crime together with officials of Swiss prosecuting agencies on Thursday raided three locations in Gostivar to collect evidence involving money laundering and other criminal proceeds, following a plan on taking measures in connection to an international investigation into illegal drug trafficking.
Police searched two people and raided a travel agency in Gostivar, MoI said today adding that documents for quick transfer of large sums of money sent from Switzerland to Macedonia werefound during the operation. The operation is still under way. It is expected the two individuals by the end of the day to be brought before a public prosecutor as witnesses.
One of the men who were searched, MoI said, is the brother of a man detained in Switzerland. According to the Swiss police, the suspect had been caught 20 years ago with 300 kilograms of heroin for which he was sentenced to a 18 year prison term. After serving his time, the man was expelled from the country receiving a ban to enter Switzerland.
MoI in 2014 conducted a successful international investigation in cooperation with the Swiss police aimed at catching Macedonian nationals involved in the organization of transport and trafficking of heroin on the territory of Switzerland.
As a result of the investigation conducted in October, 44year old Saiti Sabedin from Kumanovo and 56 year old Aligega Kujtim from Gostivar were taken into custody. Furthermore, nearly 25 kilograms of heroin and CHF 60,000 were seized.
Aligega Kujtim is also known in Macedonia as MP candidate from the Diaspora for the Albanian party New Democracy of Imer Selmani.
During the inquiry in Switzerland, it was concluded that some of the money acquired by selling drugs had been sent to Macedonia with quick money transfers and through couriers.
“In an effort to find evidence related to money laundering, acting upon a request for international legal assistance, cooperation was established between the Swiss public prosecutor’s office and Macedonian authorities tasked with prosecuting organized crime and corruption. It served as a basis to order searches in Gostivar,” stated the press release.
The two men arrested had been surveyed by Swiss authorities in Zurich for a longer period of time because they were suspected of being major players on the Swiss narcotics market. Despite seizing 100 kilograms of heroin, the Swiss authorities were unable to file charges against Saiti and Aligega due to lack of evidence.
It is believed that through money laundering, the two men had managed to amass a fortune of over CHF 2.5 million. The investigation in cooperation with Swiss authorities is under way.
- See more at: Police action: Swiss Drug Money were Laundered in Macedonia, Former MP Candidate Arrested - Independent.mk
