The police have carried out a coordinated operation against companies and individuals involved in the import and sale of fuel oil of dubious origin, which poses a threat to public health and the environment, sources from the Ministry of Interior (MOI) said.
This afternoon, businessman and former director of the “Boris Trajkovski” Sports Center, Ratko Kapushevski, and the owner of “Pucko Petrol,” Asmir Jahoski, were arrested, several media outlets reported. According to unofficial information, Kapushevski was detained at his home, where police are still conducting searches.
The operation, initiated by the Public Security Bureau in cooperation with other relevant institutions, aims to crack down on the illegal trade of fuels containing high levels of sulfur, heavy metals, and other harmful compounds that contribute to air and soil pollution, officials said.
“A network of importers distributing low-quality fuel illegally has been uncovered. These fuels pose a serious risk to public health and significantly worsen air pollution,” a police source, who requested anonymity, said.
The Department for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption at the Public Security Bureau (PSB), in coordination with the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Corruption (OJO-GOKK), is conducting searches at various locations in Skopje and across the country under the order of a preliminary procedure judge. Investigators link the case to suspicious procurement of petroleum products, large-scale damage to the state budget, and harm to public health, police confirmed, without providing further details.
According to the same sources, the investigation includes individuals who have previously been associated with economic crime but have so far enjoyed protection from certain centers of power.
Available information suggests that through fictitious loan agreements and intermediary services, around 10 billion denars (approximately 162 million euros) have been illegally siphoned off. This is considered one of the biggest corruption scandals in the country’s energy sector.
Pollution linked to these fuels has already had serious consequences, and according to official data, several thousand citizens die prematurely each year due to poor air quality.
The police operation is ongoing, and the suspects will face legal consequences, authorities said.
Ratko Kapushevski left public service in 2014 and began working as a project manager in the office of Russian businessman Sergei Samsonenko. He later dedicated himself to the energy sector and his company, RKM, which in recent years has won public procurement contracts worth hundreds of millions of euros. His name has been linked to controversial tenders for the procurement of oil and petroleum derivatives for state institutions.
Asmir Jahoski is the son of BDI MP Ismail Jahoski. His name has also been mentioned in the “State Lottery” scandal, where the main suspect is Artan Grubi, who has been absent from the country for several months to avoid facing justice.
