The case related to the disappearance of about a kilogram of cocaine from the court depot of the High Court in Bijelo Polje is still in the investigation phase, as additional documentation needs to be obtained after the checks have been carried out, the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Bijelo Polje told "Vijesti".
The Higher State Prosecutor's Office previously announced that it had collected evidence regarding the disappearance of the cocaine, but that after their assessment, it was concluded that additional checks were needed, which is why the procedure was returned to the investigation phase.
It all happened in April 2025, after the Interdepartmental Commission for the Implementation of the Destruction of Legally Seized Drugs determined that the substance that was supposed to be burned did not react like cocaine during preliminary testing.
On March 23, members of the Commission inspected the seized substance in that case, and the minutes stated that “irregularities were observed” because the substance did not show the expected color during testing. The High Court in Bijelo Polje was informed of this on March 28, after which the evidence was separated and not sent for destruction.
The cocaine was stored in the court depot of the High Court in Bijelo Polje, and was evidence in the case against RM and E. M, who were convicted 15 years ago of unauthorized production and distribution of narcotics.
In a 2010 verdict, they were ordered to permanently confiscate 1.000,40 grams of cocaine, which was to be destroyed once the verdict became final.
Although nine months have passed, the Bijelo Polje State Prosecutor's Office has not specified whether additional laboratory analyses of the substance in question have been conducted after preliminary testing, nor whether the hearings of employees of that prosecutor's office or other persons have been completed, nor when a decision in that case can be expected.
The Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Bijelo Polje told "Vijesti" in mid-October last year that they had collected evidence in the case and announced that they would make a decision after evaluating it.
So far, part of the total of approximately 3,5 tons of legally seized drugs, which were located in the High Court in Bijelo Polje, has been destroyed.
The destruction was carried out on April 2, 2025, at the facility of the company "MM Sistem" from Nikšić, with the presence of the police and environmental monitoring.
This is stated in the government's Information on the activities of the Interdepartmental Commission for the implementation of the procedure for the takeover and destruction of legally seized drugs from the High Court in Podgorica and the High Court in Bijelo Polje.
Previously, 190 items were inspected - 11 were excluded due to compromised security, and one did not contain drugs according to preliminary testing.
The remaining quantity is in the High Court in Podgorica, where a control of 122 cases was carried out on May 10th.
The information states that the process has been stalled for a long time due to technical obstacles, primarily the lack of a legal entity that meets the requirements for incineration.
Bids for incineration were rejected by the Nikšić Iron Works, the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant and KAP due to failure to meet environmental and safety standards.
Sentence for missing drugs handed down in 2010
The missing drugs stem from the case against RM and EM, who were found guilty in 2010 of the criminal offense of criminal association and unauthorized production, possession and distribution of narcotic drugs and sentenced to eight years and eight months and seven years and eight months in prison, respectively.
Then, as the Bijelo Polje High Court said, they were ordered to permanently confiscate the substance - 1.000,40 grams of cocaine with a concentration of 79,5 percent, which was ordered to be destroyed after an expert examination upon the finality of the verdict.
"By the judgment of the Appellate Court of Montenegro, Ksž. No. 26/11 of 8 November 2011, the aforementioned judgment of this court was modified in terms of the legal assessment of the offense and the decision on the sentence, and the accused were sentenced to single prison sentences, namely the accused MR for a period of 6 years and 6 months, and the accused ME for a period of 5 years and 6 months, in which their detention is included. The convicted persons have been in detention since 26 April 2008, and they began serving their sentences on 26 January 2012. The same approved the applications for conditional release, so the convicted RM was released on 30 May 2014, and the convicted EM on 9 April 2012," the Higher Court said earlier.
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