More than a dozen containers full of illegal cigarettes were allegedly smuggled by a criminal group managed by Baranin Djordje Pavićević, learned Vijesti from several unofficial sources.
According to the same information, the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) accuses that team of having smuggled at least three ships loaded with those tobacco products.
"The investigators determined that the ships left the Port of Bar empty, and that the cigarettes were left in the warehouses of the Free Zone in order to further sell them on the illegal markets... Customs officials helped make it look like that in the documents," said an interlocutor to Vijesti from the investigation.
Pavićević - owner of Basketball Club Mornar from Bar, his former employee Nikica Kovačević and customs officers Ivana Kovačević i Veljko Đuričić were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of committing a criminal offense - creation of a criminal organization, falsification of an official document and smuggling by aiding and abetting.
According to information from Vijesti, the months-long action of the Special Prosecutor's Office culminated the day before yesterday with the searches of several private and business premises of the arrested persons. Members of the Special Police Department, with the support of their colleagues, also controlled the premises of the basketball club from Bar...
"By order of the Special State Prosecutor's Office, and after searching the premises of the company 'P'... the Special Police Department deprived Ð.P., the founder and responsible person of the company, as well as the former employee of the company N.K. and two officials of the Revenue and Customs Administration I.K. and V.Ð., due to the grounds of suspicion that they committed the criminal offense of creating a criminal organization, falsifying an official document and smuggling by aiding and abetting", it is stated in yesterday's announcement of the SDT prosecutor. Vukas Radonjić.
He explained that he will file criminal charges against Pavićević's company "Playmaker", as well as three foreign companies: "Because there are grounds for suspicion that they have committed the criminal offense of creating a criminal organization."
The interlocutor of Vijesti from the investigation claims that empty ships left the port during 2019 - two in February and one in March of that year.
Smuggling scheme
In the cigarette smuggling scheme that was submitted to the SDT a year ago by the current prime minister Dritan Abazovic (URA), participants in the alleged smuggling of tobacco products through the Bar Port Free Zone were drawn.
According to that official document of the Revenue and Customs Administration, at the top of the smuggling pyramid are allegedly members of the "Grand" and "Bemax" clans, and they smuggle the brands "Merlin", "Trokadero", FM", "King" and "Manchester"...
It is explained that Pavićević, through related persons and companies, placed illegal cigarettes on domestic markets, in the region and in the European Union.
"The most common transit of cigarettes took place through the Free Customs Zone of the Port of Bar. The countries of origin are the countries of the off shore zone, the Middle East, North African countries, the Russian Federation, the UAE, China, Turkey, Moldova, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Belarus, Albania, Greece, Cyprus, and the final destination is the EU market - Italy, Spain and Great Britain", it is written in the UPC document made while he was at its head Milosevic works (HURRY).
It is added that up to fifty thousand packs of cigarettes "traveled" in one container, and that everything was done with the support of the forwarder.
According to the same data, they arranged the paperwork that helped to smuggle tobacco products "under the guise" of other goods - plastic and glass cups, pet food, furniture...
"Based on the operational activities of the Revenue and Customs Administration officials, we came to operational knowledge that a part of cigarettes was placed on the gray market in the territory of Montenegro through illegal channels, while the other, i.e., a larger part, was distributed to neighboring countries, and they were hidden in to 'stock locations' in warehouses on the wider territory of Podgorica - Tuzi, Danilovgrad"...
In the same document, it is explained that these activities were "strongly supported by certain high-ranking members of the Police Administration":
"Who are involved in criminal structures, as evidenced by numerous reports of EUROPOL and international investigations".
The News has no information on whether the SDT investigation has anything to do with the UPC document.
Rade Milošević was arrested in October 2022 on suspicion of participating in cigarette smuggling, which he denied.
A few days later, he publicly announced that Pavićević was identified in all operative files as the organizer of cigarette smuggling in the Port of Bar.
She took the money, godfather
Pavićević and Ivana Kovačević are the topic of communication of the group gathered around Milos Medenica, also accused of smuggling cigarettes in the Port of Bar. Kovačević was accused of being part of that criminal group.
On the Sky application, some of the members of that team claim that Kovačević earned 200 euros in that illegal business.
"She took 200 h with us godmother. To put 10 people in jail. If he did that, I wouldn't do that to the executioner... Everyone is asking for an explanation," states one of the messages, after the team "fell" with a load of cigarettes.
They then comment that messages from a source warn them that police inspectors for economic crime are waiting for them at the exit from the Free Zone.
Along with the insults, Kovačević is accused of setting them up...
"A man told us that he was told by the owner of the warehouse - just so you know, there is a business outside waiting for you. She told Ivana to let her know, so that she can get out of it... It was the most terrible game... I broke in and they were working on us that day, all by myself. That fool from the freight forwarder opened my eyes," says one of the participants in the communication on the encrypted application.
His interlocutor then sends the same explanation to another associate: "The owner of the warehouse told him: 'Ivana told me to let her know when you go out, the company is waiting for you, they will follow the trucks to the border. And the customs officer whom she gave us to cover us, sent to the container with VNK customs control, so that they can work like a container. Classically, to pull out the ass, to drive in our ass. Now we are attacking them from the full, one by one, someone will pay for this".
They also say that it makes the head fly.
In the context of "payment" due to the drop in cargo, they also mention Pavićević, but also after a completed job when they say that Đoko needs to withdraw 60.000 euros, which he previously donated.
They allude to his donations during the covid pandemic.
"Once a month they throw out five trucks, only other goods", they state in correspondence while talking about Pavićević.
The prosecutor requests custody, the judge decides today
Defense attorney for Pavićević, lawyer Zoran Piperović, said that the prosecutor requested custody. This will be decided today by the investigating judge of the High Court in Podgorica, Suzana Mugoša.
Piperović pointed out that he asked not to determine detention - for the simple reason that Pavićević has no intention of going anywhere.
"He had time, if he wanted, especially after a year and a half Dritan Abazović poisoned the Montenegrin public about who is a smuggler and who is not. If he found himself named, Pavićević could have left Montenegro. Pavićević himself came by car to the Podgorica Security Department. He was told that the grounds for detention will probably be point 4 - the gravity of the crime, because he is accused of having founded a criminal organization," Piperović said.
He pointed out that during the hearing, what was disputed by the prosecutor was read. "Pavićević said that the papers seized by the SPO contain everything that denies the claims from the application," explained Piperović.
That lawyer added that he was grateful to the inspectors from the SPO and prosecutor Radonjić:
"On a correct and professional relationship with me and the defendant Pavićević," said Piperović.
Suspects mapped as early as 2021.
Back in 2021, Vijesti was told that suspicious companies in the Port of Bar were mapped in the context of cigarette smuggling and that they were under special police scrutiny.
This was said unofficially after the control of the Free Zone by the then leaders of the executive power and the Council for the fight against corruption.
The interlocutor of Vijesti said at the time that during the tour "interesting things were noticed", which will be dealt with by police inspectors, not wanting to specify what it was about.
The same source said that Montenegrin investigators control the operations of several companies with the support of international partners.
The fight against the smuggling of cigarettes, narcotics and other forms of organized crime, as one of the absolute priorities of the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Police Directorate and the entire system, gives daily results.
"Results Coming"
Abazović announced yesterday that he welcomes the great action of SDT and SPO, as a continuation of the activities to suppress organized cigarette smuggling.
"Everything that we have been pointing out for years is coming true every day. The smuggling scheme submitted to the Prosecutor's Office is beginning to have its epilogue," he wrote on the X social network.
Minister of Interior Affairs Danilo Šaranović he said that the fight against cigarette smuggling, narcotics and other forms of organized crime gives daily results.
"Just a few days after the seizure of 1,6 million euros worth of cigarettes in the Port of Bar, the arrest of several persons who are accused of smuggling at least 2,5 tons of cocaine, the actions of the members of the Special Police Department of the Police Administration continue on the order of the Special State Prosecutor's Office, which are confirmation our determined and merciless fight against crime", he stated in the announcement.
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