Acting Director of the Police Administration, Lazar Šćepanović, announced that the latest actions of the Special Police Department (SPO) and the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) are an indication that they are determined to break up the criminal network because, as he states, in the previous period, the activities of the tobacco mafia created a fertile ground for the illegal activities of criminal structures.
"The latest activities are not just in the last few days, yesterday or today, but are continuous activities that have been carried out for the past few months and police officers are continuously undertaking operational, preventive, proactive measures with undiminished intensity to dismantle the activities of organized crime, dismantle criminal networks and raise the level of security," Šćepanović told TVCG, as reported by the RTCG portal.
He particularly emphasized that the results achieved by the SPO in cooperation and coordination with the SDT during 2023 and 2024 and with a primary focus on 2025 are well known, where a large number of people were processed by arrest for the crimes of creating a criminal organization and conducting criminal activities in terms of committing serious crimes, abuse, drugs at the international level and cigarette smuggling.
"You are witnesses that in the previous period, the tobacco mafia, or excise goods, was completely neglected and that a favorable environment was created for the activities of criminal structures, including infiltration and Police Administration officers who carried out these activities or acted silently and who did not make any contribution to the prosecution and identification of those persons who created huge amounts of money and pumped that money into the implementation of economic activities," says Šćepanović.
Šćepanović praised the activities of the crime fighting sector, which, as he said, continuously undertakes activities in the area of national priorities when it comes to environmental crime, when it comes to economic crime, and that a large number of persons have been prosecuted and criminal charges have been filed relating to economic crime, which was also neglected in the previous period and where the Montenegrin state budget was damaged.
"The latest actions of the Special State Prosecutor's Office and the Crime Prevention Sector, the Special Police Department, the Basic State Prosecutor's Office, and the Higher State Prosecutor's Office are a clear sign that the system is compatible and that they are taking coordinated measures and actions to raise the level of security and prosecute persons who carry out criminal activities. I would also like to express and assure the public that during the national period, officers of the Police Administration will aggressively take numerous criminal and tactical measures to raise the level of security, prosecute persons who have violated the law with their actions and will be subject to the law, that is, they will be prosecuted before the competent state prosecutor's office," said Šćepanović.
When asked by TVCG how he assesses the cooperation of the Police Directorate with the Prosecutor's Office and the National Security Agency, Šćepanović said that the cooperation of the Police Directorate is developed and fruitful at all levels, with the Basic State Prosecutor's Office, with the Higher State Prosecutor's Office, and he particularly highlighted the cooperation with the Special State Prosecutor's Office.
"When it comes to the National Security Agency, I have to make a clear statement that there has never been better cooperation between the Police Directorate and the National Security Agency at all levels," concluded Šćepanović.
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