Vuković’s arrest late last week was the result of a two year joint investigation into the group’s activities by Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian police, coordinated by the South Eastern Cooperative Initiative Center (SECI Center).
The investigation began in 2009 in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and other arrests were made before Vuković was finally apprehended.
Vuković has allegedly defrauded more than 60 Serbian companies, and four Bulgarian companies, and is suspected of involvement in scams in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia.
The group’s scheme allegedly used fake identification and forged bank documents to obtain construction goods without paying for them, on the promise of reimbursement. They would then illegally sell the goods also using forged documents claiming the items were paid for.
Vuković reportedly began his operation in 2006 and moved to Macedonia to avoid arrest after he cheated 12 Serbian companies. He has been on the run since the investigation began when an international arrest warrant was issued for him by the Serbian government, according to the Sofia Echo.
Vuković was arrested while attempting to deliver illegally obtained construction materials to Macedonia. He claimed to be a Bulgarian citizen, Svetoslav Stojanov, and was found with fake identification documents on him, which reportedly delayed the announcement of his arrest.
