State prosecutors say that they are preparing charges against a rare catch – an alleged top member of the Grcec narco mafia. Muaremi Iljaz is reportedly a major drug boss from the village close to Skopje which recently became a no-go zone and whose gangs surpassed other more established branches of the Albanian mafia.

Iljaz was arrested yesterday, in the village, as a key suspect in a previous case that was sabotaged by informants within the police who tipped the drug bosses off that the police is preparing a raid for their arrest. Five of the most wanted members of a group of 28 defendants escaped during these raids in early 2021.

The group is suspected of distributing drugs through Skopje, Tetovo, Gostivar and Strumica.