Criminal groups operating in Montenegro have the most modern communication equipment, with a high level of crypto protection, and it is characteristic that they implement sophisticated counter-surveillance measures.
This is written in the Serious and Organized Crime Risk Assessment (SOCTA 2021), which the Montenegrin security services recently did.
In that document, it is written that since the creation of the last such document in 2017, mafia clans have significantly strengthened in every sense, especially numerically.
"It was registered that members of certain organized criminal groups during the previous period at key locations in the cities where they operate installed modern video surveillance systems at positions in the city core, which enabled them to constantly monitor all events in public places, as well as plan the execution of serious criminal acts," the files state.
It is added that members of organized criminal groups use original biometric documents of countries in the region, which were obtained fraudulently.
"Namely, members of organized criminal groups, along with corrupt activities aimed at lower-ranking officials of the state administration of the countries of the region, obtain personal data (of deceased persons or persons who are internally displaced), which they use when submitting falsified documents for the issuance of biometric documents".
60 kills
Security services in the period between 2017 and 2021 registered 60 mafia murders.
"Taking into account the fact of strong regional connections between organized criminal groups from the territory of Montenegro and organized criminal groups from the territory of the countries of the region, primarily Serbia, it must be pointed out that conflicts between organized criminal groups are not limited only to the territory of Montenegro, but are causally connected with conflicts on the territories of the countries of the region, but also of certain countries of Europe and the world. In the conflicts of the mentioned organized criminal groups in Montenegro and the countries of the region during the reporting period, more than 60 serious crimes against life and limb were committed".
SOCTA states that organized criminal groups from Montenegro have established dominant roles on certain segments of smuggling and distribution routes and, in cooperation with the same or similar criminal structures from the countries of the region, have significantly strengthened their capacities for conducting smuggling operations on a transcontinental level:
"Both through the strengthening of the cooperative base, and through the establishment of a dominant role on certain segments of smuggling and distribution routes. Although the seizures of record quantities of cocaine smuggled through the Port of Bar have been registered, the increasingly intense activities of law enforcement authorities, as well as the complexity of the smuggling operations themselves , it can be stated that cocaine smuggling activities do not take place through the territory of Montenegro, which is not a key entry point for the Western Balkans region".
Balkan cartel strengthened
It was also clarified that the "Balkan Cartel" significantly intensified its activities during the period in which the last SOCTA was being created:
"Not only in terms of the increase in the amount of smuggled cocaine, but also in relation to the establishment of solid distribution networks in the area of several countries of Western and Central Europe, where people from the territory of Montenegro and the countries of the region are recruited".
SOCTA also assessed that the structure of high-risk organized crime groups "remained relatively solid."
"As such, it is based on a clear hierarchical structure, with pronounced roles of leaders and key members, with several cells or branches, which have their headquarters even outside the borders of Montenegro, a clear division of tasks, specialization for the implementation of certain criminal activities and compliance with the rules of internal discipline and strategically committed to the use of violence".
Authorities have registered a trend of constant strengthening of the internal structure of high-risk organized criminal groups:
"Through the continuous engagement of new members and tighter ties with regional and transnational criminal structures. The dominant criminal activity of organized criminal groups from the territory of Montenegro is still drug smuggling, the dominance of cocaine at the international level."
They buy tourist complexes with dirty money
In SOCTA, it is written that criminals invest dirty money in the purchase of real estate:
"In activities related to money laundering, it has been registered that the money acquired through criminal activities is invested in construction activities, real estate purchases, tourist complexes, catering, the organization of games of chance, both in the territory of Montenegro and in the territory of other countries. activities are often used by private companies that have been around for many years, and that are engaged in the previously mentioned jobs".
By laundering money, they raise the price of real estate
The authors of the document state that money laundering through construction activities unrealistically increases real estate prices:
They claim that money laundering through construction and real estate remains a high-risk area:
"Because it can still relatively easily absorb large amounts of capital. The continuous increase in real estate turnover may indicate the possibility of creating unrealistically high real estate prices due to the activities of criminal structures."
Abazović: SOCTA is based on Europol's methodology
The new Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) is based on Europol's methodology. This document should serve as a unique landmark, primarily for the intelligence and security sector bodies, but also for other state administration bodies - to direct their personnel and material and technical resources in order to effectively plan and implement multidisciplinary and interagency activities that will be focused on achieving noticeable results in the field the fight against serious and organized crime, along with the imperative to improve the overall security environment.
This was written by the Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinator of the Bureau for Operational Coordination Dritan Abazović in the opening words of the document.
He explains that the new Assessment was made by the Interdepartmental Working Team, composed of representatives of the intelligence and security sector, with the support of representatives of the prosecution organization - guided by international standards in the fight against serious and organized crime, and with the aim of combating contemporary security challenges.
"Starting from the provisions of the Law on the Basics of the Intelligence and Security Sector, the Bureau for Operational Coordination of Intelligence and Security Sector Authorities, and based on national priorities that will be defined by the National Security Council based on the Bureau's proposal, will focus on improving interagency cooperation and continuous improvement of exchange information on key national priorities and high-risk organized criminal groups, with the aim of undertaking preventive, intelligence and operative investigative activities," wrote Abazović.
He adds that it is expected that the implementation of the National Strategy for Combating Transnational Organized Crime, along with adequately planned and coordinated activities by the National Security Council and the Bureau for Operational Coordination of Intelligence and Security Sector Authorities, will further improve the multidisciplinary approach in the fight against serious and organized crime.
"I would like to point out that the authorities of the intelligence and security sector will continue and intensify the started activities, but also initiate new measures and actions with undiminished intensity, primarily with the aim of proactive action, strengthening inter-institutional and international cooperation in the fight against security challenges, which they have shown in the previous period to be good and effective way of fighting against serious and organized crime, all with the aim of ensuring the personal and property security of all citizens".
Bonus video:
