A total of 14 active and one retired customs officers and one police officer were detained in the large police raid conducted in Gevgelija and Strumica yesterday.

The officers are suspected of taking bribes – a total of 50,000 EUR were seized in the operation. Police raided 26 sites in the region, and were focused on the Novo Selo and Dojran border crossings with Bulgaria and Greece. According to the charges, the suspects took bribes between 20 and 150 EUR from truckers who were trying to cross the border. In exchange, they would allow the vehicles to cross without paying the customs fees.