Four people have been arrested on suspicion of killing a bear with a firearm in the town of Brestice, in the municipality of Nikšić, and criminal charges have been filed against one person on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of illegal possession and carrying of weapons and explosives, the Police Directorate announced today.
The statement states that officers from the Regional Border Police Center "Centar" stopped and checked three vehicles containing several people in the town of Brestice, Nikšić municipality.
"On that occasion, the following persons were checked: MP (19), PB (34), ZP (41), MB (46), the minor son of MB, MM (32), MM (57) and RP (46), all from Nikšič. During the inspection of the VW Golf 2 vehicle, a wild animal skin - a bear - was found in the trunk, and during the inspection of the Audi vehicle, seven hunting rifles were found in the trunk," the statement said.
The Police Directorate added that Nikšić police officers were sent to the scene, took over the persons and vehicles from the border police officers and brought them to the official premises of the Security Department.
"Also, in order to conduct a criminal investigation and determine all the circumstances, criminal police officers, during a search of the area, 700 meters from the macadam road in an inaccessible area, found the decapitated body of a bear," the statement reads.
It is alleged that during the criminal investigation of these individuals, the police officers came to suspect that they had come to the village of Kamensko, by prior arrangement, to shoot a bear with the help of hunting dogs, which they did after a short chase after the bear in the town of Brestice, during which time ZP, RP, MP and PB fired several shots at the bear with hunting rifles, killing it.
"Seven hunting rifles were temporarily seized from RP, one of which was in illegal possession. The state prosecutor at the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Nikšić was informed of the incident, and on his order, ZP, RP, MP, and PB were deprived of their liberty on suspicion of having committed the criminal offense of illegal hunting and the criminal offense of unauthorized possession and carrying of weapons and explosives. A criminal complaint was filed against MM on suspicion of having committed the criminal offense of unauthorized possession and carrying of weapons and explosives," the Police Directorate said.
The institution stated that they would like to emphasize that at the time of the implementation of these criminal activities, a ban on hunting game was in effect, while the bear is a species of wild animal protected by law and its capture, disturbance, destruction of habitat and killing are completely prohibited by law.
"The above further justifies the efforts that the Police Directorate officers are making and the complex actions they are carrying out to prevent the commission of criminal offenses with elements of violence and to suppress firearms and ammunition in the illegal possession of citizens, as well as the initiation and tightening of the provisions of the Law on Weapons, in the part of restrictive checks during the procedure of purchasing, possessing and transferring weapons, and especially the reasons for using firearms, because only through repressive mechanisms with effective penalties can we effectively act in the long term to suppress the illegal behavior of irresponsible individuals who grossly violate the law," the Police Directorate said in a statement.
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