At the end of January 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia received equipment to enhance crime scene investigations involving firearms.
“This equipment will serve to more efficiently combat illegal trade and possession of firearms, ensure safe control over the legality of small arms possession, and increase the security of citizens across Europe”, stated the EU Delegation in North Macedonia.
Since the armed conflicts of 2001, many of the country’s residents have illegally possessed light weaponry. Police reports frequently indicate that such weapons are found during routine inspections, often alongside narcotics, in fights, smuggling operations, or domestic violence incidents. The OSCE, UNDP and other international organisations running regional projects to raise awareness about the dangers of illegal weapons and strengthen control over their possession warn that such weapons pose “a threat to citizens’ security, public safety and play a significant role in domestic violence, murders and gender-based violence, while also contributing to crime and instability worldwide”.
North Macedonia appears in international reports and analyses as “a country on the route of illegal arms trade”.
“There is a lot of weaponry in North Macedonia. I don’t know if it’s legal or not, but it is used and threatens public safety. People fire guns a lot at weddings, for example, and there have been injuries and victims from stray bullets. These aren’t just single shots but bursts of gunfire that disturb entire cities. The Ministry of Internal Affairs regularly organizes campaigns and appeals to citizens, but to no avail. I don’t think the public is fully aware of how much illegal weaponry is in the country, but they do know there’s a lot and that there are risks!”, says Suzana Nikolić, a journalist for Kumanovo news.
The importance of controlling illegal weapons became even more evident after the mass shooting in Montenegro in January 2025, where thirteen people, including two children, were killed.
According to Small Arms Survey estimates from 2018, there are over six million firearms in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo—approximately 30 weapons per 100 inhabitants. Nearly 90% of these are in civilian hands, exceeding the global average of around 75%. It is believed that between 500,000 and 1.6 million households in the region possess firearms.
A study by the Southeast European Small Arms and Light Weapons Control Center (SEESAC) indicates that nearly 30% of victims of illegal firearms are women.
The Balkan Security Network reports that “the main land route for arms smuggling in the region runs through Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia. The maritime route to Italy originates from Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania, while a hybrid route exists between Albania, North Macedonia, and Greece. The region also serves as a transit point for weapons from Turkey, with Bulgaria being the primary entry point”.
Citing research by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime experts warn that “after the war in Ukraine ends, Balkan criminal groups could exploit established smuggling networks and infrastructure to distribute fresh weaponry from the East”.
Upon receiving the EU-donated equipment, North Macedonia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Panče Toškovski, stated that the fight against illegal weapons is a top priority for the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“The implementation of this project is of the utmost importance for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as it reaffirms our commitment to achieving the objectives of the Roadmap for Small Arms and Light Weapons Control. In particular, it supports the adoption of a legal framework for arms control that will be fully aligned with the EU legislative framework and the standardised regulatory framework for explosives control in the region, both in the Western Balkans and beyond”, said Toškovski upon receiving the donation.
The $200,000 donation is part of the “Enhancing Forensic and Crime Scene Investigation Capacities for Strengthening Criminal Justice Control over Small Arms and Light Weapons” project implemented by UNDP under the Roadmap for Small Arms and Light Weapons Control in the Western Balkans, of which North Macedonia is a signatory. The project is funded by the United Nations Multilateral Trust Fund for Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Western Balkans, supported by Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, and Norway, with backing from the European Union. The project aims to modernise forensic and crime scene investigation (CSI) units in North Macedonia to improve crime scene processing and evidence collection. This will enhance investigations, strengthen international evidence exchange, and increase the efficiency of the criminal justice system. The project will upgrade ballistic facilities and operations within the Ministry of the Interior’s Forensics Department, as well as enhance the analytical, technical, and investigative capabilities of CSI units. Additionally, it will incorporate a gender perspective focused on preventing gender-based violence by sensitising CSI staff and improving the tracking of domestic violence cases involving firearms through a dedicated module in North Macedonia’s Police Information Management System.
The donation includes universal and specialised investigation kits, cameras, computers, and hardware for crime scene analysis. Forensics and crime scene investigations play a crucial role in the criminal justice system when dealing with firearm-related cases. Through ballistic analysis, footprint and fingerprint examinations, forensic and investigative teams provide key evidence that helps solve crimes and prevent future violence.
The importance of controlling illegal weapons became even more evident after the mass shooting in Montenegro in January 2025, where thirteen people, including two children, were killed.
According to Small Arms Survey estimates from 2018, there are over six million firearms in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo—approximately 30 weapons per 100 inhabitants. Nearly 90% of these are in civilian hands, exceeding the global average of around 75%. It is believed that between 500,000 and 1.6 million households in the region possess firearms.
A study by the Southeast European Small Arms and Light Weapons Control Center (SEESAC) indicates that nearly 30% of victims of illegal firearms are women.
The Balkan Security Network reports that “the main land route for arms smuggling in the region runs through Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia. The maritime route to Italy originates from Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania, while a hybrid route exists between Albania, North Macedonia, and Greece. The region also serves as a transit point for weapons from Turkey, with Bulgaria being the primary entry point”.
Citing research by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime experts warn that “after the war in Ukraine ends, Balkan criminal groups could exploit established smuggling networks and infrastructure to distribute fresh weaponry from the East”.
Upon receiving the EU-donated equipment, North Macedonia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Panče Toškovski, stated that the fight against illegal weapons is a top priority for the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“The implementation of this project is of the utmost importance for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as it reaffirms our commitment to achieving the objectives of the Roadmap for Small Arms and Light Weapons Control. In particular, it supports the adoption of a legal framework for arms control that will be fully aligned with the EU legislative framework and the standardised regulatory framework for explosives control in the region, both in the Western Balkans and beyond”, said Toškovski upon receiving the donation.
The $200,000 donation is part of the “Enhancing Forensic and Crime Scene Investigation Capacities for Strengthening Criminal Justice Control over Small Arms and Light Weapons” project implemented by UNDP under the Roadmap for Small Arms and Light Weapons Control in the Western Balkans, of which North Macedonia is a signatory. The project is funded by the United Nations Multilateral Trust Fund for Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Western Balkans, supported by Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, and Norway, with backing from the European Union. The project aims to modernise forensic and crime scene investigation (CSI) units in North Macedonia to improve crime scene processing and evidence collection. This will enhance investigations, strengthen international evidence exchange, and increase the efficiency of the criminal justice system. The project will upgrade ballistic facilities and operations within the Ministry of the Interior’s Forensics Department, as well as enhance the analytical, technical, and investigative capabilities of CSI units. Additionally, it will incorporate a gender perspective focused on preventing gender-based violence by sensitising CSI staff and improving the tracking of domestic violence cases involving firearms through a dedicated module in North Macedonia’s Police Information Management System.
The donation includes universal and specialised investigation kits, cameras, computers, and hardware for crime scene analysis. Forensics and crime scene investigations play a crucial role in the criminal justice system when dealing with firearm-related cases. Through ballistic analysis, footprint and fingerprint examinations, forensic and investigative teams provide key evidence that helps solve crimes and prevent future violence.
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