Rajko Smolović from Bar and Novak Joksimović from Podgorica were arrested this morning on the orders of the Special State Prosecutor's Office, as part of this summer's Operation "General", on suspicion that they were part of a large criminal organization that smuggled tons of cocaine internationally.
The criminal report filed by the Special Police Department includes the names of other suspects, some of whom are already in pre-trial detention in Spuž, while some are on the run.
The arrest operation began at dawn, and searches are continuing throughout the day at several locations in Podgorica and the coast.
"By order of the Special State Prosecutor's Office, the Special Police Department is carrying out urgent evidentiary actions against several persons in Podgorica and Bar, due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that they committed the criminal offenses of creating a criminal organization and unauthorized production, possession and distribution of narcotic drugs, and is taking measures and actions to deprive them of their liberty. The Special State Prosecutor's Office will, after completing the evidentiary actions being taken and questioning the persons deprived of their liberty as suspects, inform the public about their results and the decision on the further course of the procedure," the SDT announced.
Smolović and Joksimović, as the SDT believes, were part of a criminal organization that, in SPO and SDT documents, is codenamed "General", and Podgorica resident Vaso Ulić and the fugitive head of the Kavač clan, Radoje Zvicer, are identified as the organizers.
At the end of July 2024, the police arrested several people in this operation, on suspicion that they had organized the smuggling of over 2020 tons of cocaine from South America to Australia through the protected applications SKY and Anom during 2021 and 2,5.
The cargo was sent on multiple occasions by ocean-going ships, totaling 1.570 kg in October 2020, and the smuggling was prevented by Colombian intelligence agencies. The same organization attempted to smuggle 900 kg in June 2021, but that cargo was also seized in Australian waters.
SDT and SPO worked for months on this operation with the European Union Law Enforcement Agency - EUROPOL, the Federal Bureau of Investigation - FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration - DEA of the United States of America, and the Australian Federal Police - AFP.
The SPO was also assisted by officers from the Anti-Drugs Department.
Damir Mandić from Podgorica, as suspected by the SDT, from prison where he has been since 2004 due to a final verdict that he participated in the murder of the editor of "Dan" Duško Jovanović, had intensive communication with the fugitive Beran Vuk Vulević about drug smuggling.
One of the most important roles in this organization was played by fugitives from Budva, Ivan Delić, from Pogorica, Vaso Ulić, and brothers from Tuzi, Viktor and Leon Drešaj.
SDT and SPO possess a large number of messages sent between members of the criminal organization.
The prosecution alleges that the defendants Vaso Ulić, Leon Drešaj, Viktor Drešaj, Veselin Pavličić, fugitive Ivan Delić, Damir Mandić, Vuk Vulević, Dragan Pavličević, Mileta Božović, Radule Božović, Milo Boćović, Vjekoslav Lambulić, Petar Miranović and Vukan Čoković Matić, as co-perpetrators, committed the criminal offense of unauthorized production, possession and distribution of narcotic drugs, and that the evidence stems from data collected during the investigation process, and in particular from material derived from the encrypted SKY ECC application and Anoma.
In addition to encrypted applications, the SPO and SDT also collected data by applying secret surveillance measures, on the orders of the investigating judge of the Higher Court in Podgorica.
According to the SDT, the reasonable suspicion that Mandić, as an accomplice, committed the criminal offense of unauthorized production, possession and distribution of narcotic drugs arises from the evidence and data collected during the investigation process, and in particular from the SKY Ecc communication made in chat no. 26 with an unidentified person using PIN 71E5CN, which began on December 03.12.2020, XNUMX...
"Tonight I'm writing to this person about the kangaroos because they told me he was on his way tonight. Because I see his messages aren't coming through," to which person he forwards a screenshot of the message he forwarded from his nickname "and my friend asks me if there will be room for another one when he leaves" and the response from the defendant, Pavličić Veselin, who uses the nickname AC/DC, "there will be, I'll go see him next week, ok."
In further allegations confirming the suspicions regarding Madić, the SDT, among other things, cites messages from December 14.12.2020, XNUMX, in which it informs an unidentified person that a meeting is being held at Ulić's with "Beranc", to whom it explains: "Today, Beranc and this one are having lunch for kangaroos". To detail everything. If everything is OK, Beranc said that he would like to put another one in"...
The Special State Prosecutor's Office, among other things, states that Vulević is reasonably suspected of having committed a criminal offense as an accomplice, and the suspicions arise from data and evidence collected during the investigation process, and in particular the communication made via the SKY Ecc application contained in chat 7 between him and Mandić.
More than 20 people have been prosecuted in Operation "General" so far.
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