EUROPOL: Those arrested had key positions in criminal organizations that trade drugs

The nine arrested yesterday held key positions in criminal organizations whose illegal activity is drug trafficking in the Western Balkans.

This was announced by the European Union Agency for Cooperation in Law Enforcement (EUROPOL), from where they said that the Montenegrin authorities arrested nine members of high-risk drug trafficking organizations, and that the police investigation targeted very important targets, that is, members of some of the most violent and the most dangerous drug trafficking organizations in the Western Balkans region.

They explain that the action is aimed at 19 people - nine arrested, four arrested in other cases, who are in the Spuška prison and six who are on the run:

"This action is the result of national investigations, cooperation and exchange of information through Europol between the Australian Federal Police and the New South Wales Police, the Special Police Department of Montenegro and the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The investigation was launched after the authorities intercepted shipments from 1,8 tons of cocaine from Europe to Australia between 2020 and 2021. The individuals targeted were closely linked to various Montenegrin criminal cells active within a wider drug-trafficking network that stretches across the Balkans and beyond of the most notorious and violent Montenegrin clans, while others are suspected of leading their own independent criminal groups. One of the suspects, the leader of this criminal group, is allegedly responsible for several murders committed during the gang wars," said EUROPOL.

They explain that the nine suspects are already known to law enforcement, as they have appeared in numerous previous drug-trafficking investigations.

"Investigators found that the networks in which they played leading roles developed a large logistics network to facilitate drug trafficking from the EU to Australia. They procured cocaine from countries of origin and transported it to the final address where it was distributed - in the European and Australian markets."

EUROPOL points out that yesterday in Montenegro 15 locations were searched, nine suspects were arrested, documents, weapons, ammunition, vehicles, vessels, luxury watches and cash were seized.

"In recent years, criminal networks from the Western Balkans have increasingly targeted the Australian drug market, as the illegal proceeds from the cocaine trade there are significantly higher than in European markets. The supply route includes Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil, with transshipment via southern Europe and Africa to Australia If one kilogram of cocaine costs several thousand euros in the countries of origin, it reaches more than 100.000 euros on the Australian black market.. Europol facilitated the exchange of information and provided continuous analytical support to the investigation ", they announced from that EU Agency.

Some of the defendants in that case of the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) have been among the main players in criminal circles around the world for more than two decades - Vaso Ulić, Veselin Paro Pavličić, Vukan (Vinetu) Čoković Matić, Vuk Vulević, Ivan Delić, brothers Viktor and Leon Drešaj, Vjekoslav Lambulića, Radoje Zvicer...

Yesterday, members of the Special Police Department arrested Vas and Nikola Ulic, Čoković, Mileta Božović, Viktor Drešaj, Radomir Dobriša, Petar Miranović, Marinko Prelević and Veselin Para Pavličić.

A criminal complaint was filed against Zvicer, Dragan Pavličević, Vuk Vulević, Radul Božović, Ivan Delic and Leon Drešaj, who are on the run, but also against the previously arrested Milo Božović, Damir Mandić, Vjekoslav Lambulić and Radovan Pantović.