The Macedonian police have arrested a number of individuals suspected of money laundering, tax evasion, abuse of office, and other violations. Among those detained are businessmen and inspectors from state agencies.

According to the prosecution, after a month-long investigation, arrest warrants were issued against 15 people on Wednesday. Eleven of the suspects are accused of “collaboration in criminal activity”, while nine of them are suspected of tax evasion.

Another person, who allegedly held a high position in the Public Revenue Agency, is accused not only of the aforementioned charges but also of money laundering and other illicit gains.

Local media identifies Ismet Guri as one of the arrested individuals, who until recently was the Deputy Director of the Public Revenue Agency.

Through their illegal and fictitious actions, the suspects managed to acquire movable and immovable property, luxury cars, and other assets, which they later sold to third parties for cash. They also created fake agreements with each other to generate fraudulent invoices with VAT, which they then used to claim tax debt compensation from the Public Revenue Agency.

The suspects have caused damage to the state budget amounting to approximately 840,000 euros, according to the Organized Crime and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.

Ismet Guri is a member of the Democratic Union for Integration party. A few days ago, he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, along with another member of the party, former deputy Ejup Halimi, on charges of electoral manipulation and destruction of electoral materials in the municipality of Cair in Skopje in 2013.

Recently, Guri seems to have become close to the faction of the Democratic Union for Integration, whose leaders have announced the formation of a new political movement. The party has not commented on the arrests.