[5][6] The trafficking of women for sex is worth billions in North Macedonia and is considered to be run primarily by Albanian gangsters.
[7] The reputed 'kingpin' of sex trafficking, Dilaver Bojku, was murdered by a close range gunshot to the head in August 2017.
[1] North Macedonia is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking.
Women and girls in North Macedonia are subjected to sex trafficking within the country in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.
Foreign victims subjected to sex trafficking in North Macedonia typically originate from Eastern Europe, particularly Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine.
Migrants and refugees, particularly women and unaccompanied minors, travelling or being smuggled through North Macedonia are vulnerable to trafficking.