Merdare: Bulgarians Arrested With 1,344 Antibiotic Syringes
Bulgarian nationals H.G., 59, and S.I.P., 53, were arrested at the Merdare crossing after police found eight packages holding 1,344 syringes of livestock antibiotics with no proof of origin.
Police arrested two Bulgarian nationals at the Merdare administrative crossing on suspicion of trying to bring in more than 1,300 syringes of veterinary antibiotics without a single document showing where the goods came from. Serbia’s Ministry of Interior announced the arrest on August 31.
The men are H.G., born in 1967, and S.I.P., born in 1973, meaning they are 59 and 53 years old. They were stopped during a routine vehicle check at the Joint Field Crossing at Merdare. The operation was carried out by officers from the Criminal Police Directorate’s Service for Combating Crime and its Department for Combating Economic Crime, together with police from the Prokuplje Police Department, in cooperation with the Customs Administration.
“Bulgarian nationals H.G. (1967) and S.I.P. (1973) were arrested on grounds of suspicion that they committed the criminal offense of illegal trade,” the Ministry of Interior said in its statement.
What Was Found in the Vehicle
A search of the car the two suspects were traveling in turned up eight packages containing a total of 1,344 syringes of the livestock antibiotic Fatroximin. No documentation whatsoever accompanied the goods to establish their origin, the Ministry said.
The estimated value of the seized medication, according to the statement, comes to exactly 1,441,440 dinars. Some outlets rounded that figure and reported it as “around 1.5 million dinars,” while others wrote “1.4 million dinars.” The official, precise figure from the Interior Ministry’s statement is 1,441,440 dinars.
The suspects are charged with the criminal offense of illegal trade. According to the Ministry, H.G. and S.I.P. have been ordered held for up to 48 hours. After that, they will be brought before the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Kursumlija along with a criminal complaint, which will decide how the case proceeds.
