Over the past six months, police officers have filed criminal charges against 14 individuals and legal entities for money laundering, including two high-ranking police officers who are believed to have managed to funnel 8,5 million euros into legal channels.
This is a former police officer. Duško Koprivica and the inspector from Bijelo Polje Miljan Knežević, against whom, in two separate cases, the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) is investigating money laundering, suspected of having been earned through illegal activities.
This is stated in the Special Report on the Results of the Police Directorate in the Fight Against Organized Crime and Corruption, which was recently released by the Acting Director of the Police Directorate. Lazar Scepanovic submitted to the Parliamentary Committee on Security and Defense.
The reporting document does not include a suspect in money laundering, a former operative of the National Security Agency (ANB) and the Police Directorate. Dusko Golubovic, because officers of the Special Police Department and the SDT are still determining how much money he "laundered" through the purchase of real estate in Montenegro and abroad.
"Vijesti" requested data from the Police Directorate from the report submitted to the Committee, but since it is a classified document, they only provided statistical data, which was compiled by the police over the past six months, with the active participation and cooperation of the SDT, higher and basic state prosecutors' offices.
"In the reporting period, the Police Directorate, with all organizational units, from December 1, 12 to the end of May 2024, achieved concrete, visible, measurable and noticeable results, demonstrating an efficient institutional response to modern security challenges and threats in the areas of defined national priorities that primarily relate to the fight against serious, organized crime and corruption," the Police Directorate's response states.
They state that in the reporting period they registered a total of 2.421 a criminal offense that is prosecuted ex officio, and that they have a high percentage of solving crimes with an unknown perpetrator, more than 85 percent, while the remaining 15 percent refers to classic crime - crimes with a lower degree of social danger.
"15 criminal offenses by an unknown perpetrator from the previous period and years were also solved, which clearly shows that the Police Directorate approaches the solution of these offenses with the same attention, seriousness and dedication as it does to current cases," the response reads.
The document submitted to the Parliament also provides statistical data stating that the police had a 100 percent coverage of crimes against life and limb in six months.
"In the reporting period, police officers solved 19 registered serious crimes against life and limb, of which six were murders and 13 attempted murders, including one aggravated murder and one attempted aggravated murder, committed as a "a consequence of conflicts between organized criminal groups. In five cases, the commission of criminal offenses with the highest degree of social danger was prevented as a consequence of the activities of high-risk organized criminal groups," the response to "Vijesti" states.
247 reports against OKG and BIL
As of December 1, 2024, 247 criminal reports have been filed with the competent prosecutor's offices against members of organized criminal groups and persons of operational interest.
"Such results are a direct result of efficiently and qualitatively implemented proactive, preventive and intelligence activities, which were aimed at preventing the commission of serious crimes related to the activities of organized crime groups, thus demonstrating a high degree of determination by the Police Directorate in neutralizing threats coming from organized crime structures," the institution's response states.
The report also states that five serious crimes against life and limb have been solved, of which four are aggravated murders and one attempted aggravated murder from previous years, which were committed as a result of conflicts between organized criminal groups.
The Special Police Department submitted 24 cases to the SDT. criminal charges and reports supplementing criminal charges against 104 natural persons and one legal entity, where the activities that resulted in the prosecution of five persons with the status of public officials and 10 police officers stand out as particularly significant., which are linked to organized crime, criminal groups and corruption, the report says.
"32 individuals, who were identified as leaders and high-ranking members of high-risk organized criminal groups, who played key roles in planning, preparing, organizing and directly committing serious crimes against life and limb, as well as smuggling over nine tons of narcotics - cocaine and marijuana at the transnational and regional level. Three criminal offenses of murder and one criminal offense of attempted murder from previous years."
CIGARETTE SMUGGLING
In several major operations by the Police Directorate - SPO and SDT, a large number of people were arrested, who are believed to have had established smuggling routes for years for smuggling cigarettes from the Port of Bar.
At the end of 2024, one of the former owners of "Tehnomax" was arrested Saša Pekić, due to suspicions that he was at the very top of the tobacco cartel for years, and then the owner of that company Vesko Petranović.
The series of arrests for smuggling large quantities of cigarettes continued in April, when the owner of "Agrarija" was arrested on the orders of the SDT. Velimir Milacic, owner of “BatBojana” Žarko Bulatović, Rozajac Mujo Mujevic, which, as they state, has been one of the most important links on the route to the north for years.
The Police Directorate states in its report that criminal charges were filed against 32 people in the past six months. because smuggling and illicit trade in cigarettes.
"Who, as is suspected, smuggled a total of 81.370 packages of cigarettes, causing material damage to the Montenegrin budget in the amount of approximately 64,1 million euros," the UP states.
The report also states that 95 criminal charges were filed against 125 individuals for drug-related crimes. At the national level, 165 kilograms of narcotics and 1115 synthetic drug tablets were found and seized.
The Police Directorate also states that the results have been achieved despite the numerous challenges facing the system, especially the lack of personnel.
"Given that the tasks under the jurisdiction of the Police Directorate are complex and intricate, we particularly appreciate and highlight the efforts of police officers who professionally and dedicatedly carry out their tasks every day, demonstrating a high level of responsibility, courage and dedication to protecting citizens and preserving a stable security environment," the UP wrote in its response.
The estimated material damage to the state over the past six months due to economic crime is 100 million euros.
246 people arrested on wanted warrants
In half a year, 246 people were located and arrested on warrants, of which 55 on international warrants, including high-ranking members of organized crime groups, as well as 191 on national warrants and wanted lists.
The Police Directorate, as the report states, has significantly intensified and improved activities in key areas of national priorities - human trafficking, illegal migration and human smuggling...
These activities resulted in the filing of 17 criminal reports and the prosecution of 26 persons, for committing 23 criminal offenses, including a significant number of foreign citizens, while one member of the border police was also prosecuted for suspicion of aiding in the illegal crossing of the state border and human smuggling.
In joint inter-sectoral activities of the Police Directorate, 65 motor vehicles were found and seized, which were claimed at the international level.
Ten times more weapons seized since Cetinje tragedy than in a decade
Through planned police and prosecutorial measures, 705 weapons and 31.423 pieces of ammunition of various types and calibers were seized in the reporting period.
After the tragedy in Cetinje on January 1, the Police Directorate, through repressive actions, but also through the campaign "Respect life, return weapons", recorded record results in confiscating weapons from citizens.
"Over 3.660 firearms, over 123.000 pieces of ammunition, 418 hand grenades, as well as several hundred pieces of weapons and mines and explosive devices were voluntarily surrendered, which is ten times more than in the past ten years," the Police Directorate's response reads.
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