After seizing Virginia tobacco, the Financial Police Directorate focuses on discovering the way in which the goods entered the country. In an interview with Alsat, Director Arafat Muaremi says checks will be carried out in the Ministry of Economy and the Customs Administration.

All the energy of the financial police in the coming days will be directed at the investigation into how these private companies managed to import illegal tobacco. We collected some information showing that several state institutions that have given confirmations or permits for importing this type of tobacco, ie Virginia, are involved, says Muaremi.

Asked which are the institutions, director Muaremi says:

According to the evidence we have been able to obtain in the past few days, it is about two institutions. These are the Ministry of Economy and the Customs Administration. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, or the prosecutor in charge of this case, this investigation shows that the certificates or permits granted for import should be analyzed whether they are in accordance with the law or not. If we have violation of the law or abuse of the law on tobacco import permit, on the other hand, we should submit facts that the tobacco import is in the coordination and cooperation of the companies that have the right to manufacture tobacco products in the Republic of North Macedonia, says Muaremi.