A teenage girl in North Macedonia was found dead a week after she was abducted and killed by a criminal group that had been working with her father, who was helping them export a ransom from the girl’s wealthy mother.
The lifeless body of Vanja Gjorchevska from the city of Skopje in the Republic of North Macedonia was discovered on Sunday, 3rd December, a week after she was declared missing by her mother, Zorica Gjorchevska.
The 14-year-old victim was found buried in the village of Brazda, in the municipality of Cucer-Sandevo, about 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) away from her home at 7.30pm.
Vanja was reportedly snatched on her way to school in the Debar Maalo suburb by the criminal group led by politician Ljupco Palevski called Palcho, on Monday, 27th November.
Palevski, who is a former construction entrepreneur and the president of the ‘Desna’ (‘Right’) political party was aided by his accomplices Velibor Manev, Vlatko Keshishev, and Bore Videvski.
The abduction took place as part of a mastermind plan between the group and the girl’s father, Aleksandar Gjorchevski, who tipped them off about when she would be leaving for school a day earlier.
Police revealed that the group’s main motive was to extort money out of the girl’s mother.
It is believed that the kidnappers caught the victim in the inner part of the building’s entrance, tied her up, and stuffed her in a sleeping bag before loading her up in the trunk of a Citroen vehicle.
They then drove to Brazda, when Palevski, petrified by the evidence that police could find in the investigation, shot her to death at around 10am, and set the vehicle on fire.
The vehicle reportedly belonged to Panche Zhezhovski, 74, from the city of Veles, a second victim killed by Palevski over a EUR 500 (GBP 429) debt on 22nd November.
His dead body was found in the vicinity of Veles the same day police found 14-year-old Vanja.
After the gruesome murders, Palevski fled to Belgrade in Serbia, on 30th November. It is believed that he is currently hiding in Bulgaria.
Manev, Keshishev, and Videvski, are currently in custody, while the victim’s father is under arrest.
Minister of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia, Oliver Spasovski, 47, said during a press conference on 4th December: “According to the current evidence, the main organiser and executor is the suspect Palevski, who killed the minor sometime around 10am on 27th November.
“I promise that this monster, whose trail we are following, will be brought before the court the moment he steps on our soil.”
