Šćepanović: 11 captured migrants released, three Pakistanis arrested

Three Pakistani citizens were arrested yesterday, at the Božaj border crossing, on suspicion of kidnapping other migrants, and 11 captured migrants, who were subjected to violence, were released, said Acting Assistant Director of the Police Directorate for the Anti-Crime Sector, Lazar Šćepanović.

"The suspects were running away from the police, but they were released after the search," Šćepanović said at the press conference.

A large number of police officers from the SBPOK, the Border Police, the Anti-Terrorist and Special Police Units and the Regional Security Center were engaged in the action.

Šćepanović said that they had a crisis situation where a migrant group was captured from a criminal group and subjected to violence.

"Based on the intelligence we received from Albania, in the border zone in Božaj, a criminal group of migrants restricted the movement of a larger group of migrants and committed violence, bodily harm, extorted money and inflicted serious bodily harm," he added.

Šćepanović said that the action lasted several hours and that they had a hostage situation where 11 migrants were freed - seven from Egypt and four from Syria.

Three Pakistanis were arrested and charged with the crime of kidnapping and extortion.

Milutin Vasiljević, Acting Assistant Director of the Border Police Sector, said that 11 migrants are currently staying at the Reception Center for Foreigners.

Vasiljević also said that a large number of migrants have been registered since the migrant crisis began, and that the number of migrants peaked in 2022, with 8.550 migrants residing in Montenegro. In 2024, that number dropped to 1.707.