SDT suspects that Mujević's group damaged the state by almost 33 million euros through cigarette smuggling

The Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) suspects that a criminal organization led by Rožajac Mujo Mujević damaged the state by almost 33 million euros through cigarette smuggling.

Mujević, the owner of the agricultural pharmacy "Agrarija" Velimir Milačić, the owner of the company "Bat Bojana" Žarko Bulatović and Slobodan Đurica from Podgorica were arrested yesterday in an operation by the Special Police Department, on the orders of the SDT.

The SDT announced today that the SPO has filed criminal charges against the four arrested, as well as against EK, who is in custody in another criminal case, due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that they committed the criminal offense of creating a criminal organization and the continued criminal offense of smuggling.

The special prosecutor ordered Mujević, Milačić and Bulatović to be detained for up to 72 hours, while Đurica was released, and criminal proceedings were initiated against all of them.

"After the hearing, the special prosecutor ordered MM, Ž.B. and VM to be detained for a maximum of 72 hours from the time of arrest, while S.Đ., after presenting his defense, was released, and criminal proceedings were initiated against all of the now-defendants by issuing an order to conduct an investigation. Namely, from the personal, written and electronic evidence collected during the investigation, there are grounds for suspicion that the defendant MM, with an unknown person, organized a criminal organization, whose members became the other defendants, with the aim of transporting untaxed cigarettes across the customs line, while avoiding customs supervision measures, and selling and distributing them, in Podgorica and Rožaje, but also in neighboring countries, so that, in the period from December 2019 to March 2021, the defendants, by failing to pay customs duties, excise duties and taxes for at least 42.520 packages of smuggled cigarettes, obtained illegal profits for the criminal organization, and caused damage to Montenegro. "damage in the amount of at least 32.927.488,40 euros," the SDT statement said.

The order to conduct the investigation also proposed that the investigating judge of the Higher Court in Podgorica order detention for the defendants who were detained.