A shocking case of drug smuggling involving prison guards has come to light at the Štip prison in North Macedonia. According to Aleksandar Pandov, Director of the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions, inmates managed to bring narcotics into the prison with the direct assistance of prison police officers.
On March 22, a prison officer identified as M.T. illegally allowed a vehicle to enter the final secured gate of the prison. A person exited the vehicle and threw a package—shaped like a ball—over the prison wall. What followed was a bizarre scene: two inmates and four prison guards joined forces to search for the object in the grass of the prison yard, using flashlights under the cover of night.
The next day, the prison director was informed and immediately ordered a search of the area. The package was found to contain approximately 35 grams of white powder, possibly cocaine, and 50 grams of marijuana.
When questioned, the guards claimed they were helping an inmate, identified by the initials Zh.Zh, look for a missing luxury wristwatch. According to their written report, the inmate had been playing with a prison dog named "Ceca," which allegedly ran off with the expensive watch into the grassy area.
“The explanation in their official note is that inmate Zh.Zh claimed the dog took his watch while playing, and they were helping him look for it,” said Pandov, who added that the inmate never officially declared the ownership of such a valuable item.
A disciplinary commission was formed to investigate the incident. Surprisingly, the majority of the commission found no wrongdoing on the part of the guards and accepted the explanation about the missing watch. However, Director Pandov firmly rejected this conclusion and stated that the guards involved—who earn between 57,000 and 67,000 denars per month—will not be spared from sanctions.
“This kind of behavior will not be tolerated. We cannot accept a scenario where prison staff are involved, directly or indirectly, in aiding criminal activities inside correctional facilities,” Pandov declared.
The incident raises serious concerns about corruption and oversight within North Macedonia’s prison system and is likely to intensify calls for reform and greater accountability in correctional institutions.