The customs administration filed a criminal complaint against a doctor and a nurse for attempting to smuggle 199 vials of Botox, the value of which is estimated at around MKD 615,000.
According to information from the Customs Administration, a criminal report has been filed against the suspects to the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Skopje for the crimes of smuggling and customs fraud.
The case was discovered during a detailed control of a postal shipment declared for import customs clearance. In the attached documentation, the goods were declared as 10 cosmetic samples with a total value of 80 US dollars.
However, upon opening the shipment, customs officials found 199 vials of Botox, a product used in aesthetic medicine that was not listed on the invoice.
After the discovery of the case, the case was handed over to the Department of Investigations, which, by order of the public prosecutor, conducted preliminary investigations and searches at three locations.
According to the findings of the investigation, the first suspect, a doctor employed at the “Mother Teresa” University Clinical Center, ordered the shipment from a company in the Republic of Korea and arranged for the goods to be falsely presented as cosmetic products of significantly lower value.
The second suspect, a nurse employed at the same clinical center, agreed to be named as the recipient of the shipment. According to the Customs Administration, she assisted in the realization of the import by having the order arrive in her name and address, and the invoice was paid from her transaction account.
The Customs Administration emphasizes that the import of Botox is subject to strict legal procedures and special permits from the competent institutions. From there, they warn that any attempt at fraud or illegal importation of such products poses a risk to public health and will be severely punished.
