No terrorist cells have been registered in Montenegro, but radicalization and extremism, which can take violent forms and even turn into terrorism, are serious challenges that modern societies, including ours, face in varying degrees.
This was announced to "Vijesta" by the National Security Agency (ANB), which he manages Boris Milić.
In their response to "News", they stated that foreign terrorist fighters - returnees, currently do not pose a threat to the security of Montenegro, but that isolated individuals ("lone wolves") represent a certain risk and danger for taking acts that can be classified as extremism and terrorism.
"In our country, the presence of extreme behavior of individuals and groups acting from the positions of religious and national extremism has been registered, which in recent times is most often manifested in the form of posts and comments on online social networks and free communication applications, which promote radical and extreme attitudes. for the purpose of radicalization and recruitment of new supporters, but also shows intolerance towards other religious and national groups".
This is how they answered the questions of "Vijesti" regarding how many extremist groups operating in Montenegro were registered by the Agency, and which are mentioned in the document "Assessment of the danger of serious and organized crime" (SOCTA 2021). Also, the service was asked to answer which groups they are and how many of them are radical religious, nationalist, separatist, violently left-wing, right-wing and anarchist groups...
"Also, there are several fan groups in Montenegro, which are currently not at a significant level of organization and number, but certain elements of extremist rhetoric and symbolism, which they display, and some of the activities undertaken so far, to a certain extent disrupt the security environment".
They claim that foreign terrorist fighters-returnees do not currently pose a threat to the security of Montenegro.
"Isolated individuals ('lone wolves') represent a certain risk and danger for committing acts that can be classified as extremism and terrorism. The security situation in Ukraine, as well as its implications for the regional and even the security of Montenegro, are the focus of attention of the National Security Agency from various aspects, including the potential departure of Montenegrin citizens to the Ukrainian battlefield," the National Security Agency states.
The secret police did not specifically answer how many registered "lone wolves", that is, individuals who are under surveillance due to the risk of carrying out minor attacks.
"Vijesti" sources from the security sector, however, claim that secret agents are closely following their every move, as well as that their contacts with other people are registered due to fear of possible indoctrination.
They also claim that the ANB has a list of Montenegrin and citizens of neighboring countries who reside in the territory of Montenegro, and whose actions in any way can damage the security environment.
At the end of February 2023, "Vijesti" was informed by the Police Administration that the service did not record the departures of Montenegrin citizens to the combat zone in Ukraine.
The Criminal Code of Montenegro, Article 449b, prohibits participation in foreign armed formations, as well as recruiting, recruiting, preparing, transporting and training an individual or a group of people with the intention of participating in foreign armed formations operating outside Montenegro.
There are no recruitment centers...
The Government Bureau for Operational Coordination (BOK) in March of last year adopted the interdepartmental document SOCTA 2021, and in the part related to monitoring the implementation of activities that are implemented through interagency cooperation - and the Report on the work of the National Interdepartmental Operational Team for the Suppression of Violent Extremism, Terrorism, money laundering and terrorist financing.
In the publicly available part of that act, it is written that in recent history there is almost no country that is immune to terrorism, which now represents a global problem.
"Montenegro, like other countries in the region and beyond, has for a long period of time been faced with the phenomenon of persons with radical religious and other beliefs existing on its territory. Apart from individuals, there are still several Salafi groups operating in Montenegro, which are at different levels of radicalization, and a fact that is particularly worrying is the presence of returnees - fighters from foreign battlefields and supporters of terrorist organizations such as ISIL/DAESH".
It was also emphasized that an increase in the number of that category of persons was registered, primarily due to external influence, i.e. continuous propaganda activities of radical religious preachers, groups and individuals from the region.
"In addition to religious gatherings that were used for indoctrination, modern communication and information technology played a major role in this process. So far, the existence of recruitment centers or places where activities related to the planning and execution of criminal acts in the field of terrorism are carried out have not been registered," the SOCTA document says.
Operatives and analysts who worked on that document claim that an international component can still be observed in the activities of members of those groups:
"And their focus on attempts to spread radical ideologies primarily to the younger population, as well as the continuation of the radicalization of members of the RAE population".
After the BOK session held at the end of July 2023, it was announced that certain segments necessary for the further functioning of interdepartmental work teams and the activities of the National Operational Team for the fight against violent extremism, terrorism, money laundering and terrorist financing were summarized.
Six men from Montenegro once died in Syria
In the reports of the European Commission, Montenegro was described as marginally affected by the phenomenon of radicalization and foreign fighters, and the data show that from October 2012 to the end of 2018, 23 adult Montenegrin citizens traveled to Syria - 18 men and five women, who also took three children. .
According to available data, of that number, six men were killed in Syria, and three men, four women and two children remained in the territory controlled by ISIL, while one man was detained in Turkey.
Eight men, one woman and one child returned to Montenegro.
Since November 2015, there have been no registered departures of Montenegrin citizens to Syria.
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