Doctor, nurse charged in North Macedonia for attempting to smuggle Botox

North Macedonian customs authorities have filed criminal charges against a doctor and a nurse for attempting to smuggle a significant quantity of Botox into the country. The pair tried to import 199 vials of the cosmetic substance, valued at approximately 615,000 denars ($10,000 USD), by declaring them as cosmetic samples worth a mere $80.

Customs officers at Skopje 1 discovered the discrepancy during a detailed inspection of a postal shipment. The invoice listed only 10 cosmetic samples, but upon opening the package, officials found the 199 vials of Botox, commonly used in aesthetic medicine, which were not declared.

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The doctor and nurse wanted to smuggle a total of 199 vials of Botox worth 615,000 denars (10,000 euros) in a postal shipment declared as cosmetic samples, with a total value of 80 dollars.

Criminal charges for smuggling and customs fraud have been filed with the Skopje public prosecutor's office. Preliminary investigations indicate the doctor, affiliated with the University Clinical Center "Mother Teresa," ordered the Botox from a South Korean company. He allegedly arranged for the invoice to list the shipment as 10 cosmetic products totaling $80. The nurse, also from the same clinic, reportedly acted as the recipient and paid the invoice from her bank account, facilitating the crime.

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Customs officers discovered 199 vials of Botox during the opening of the shipment, which is used in aesthetic medicine and was not listed on the invoice.