The Supreme Court Council extended the detention of Zlatko Maraš from Zeta, who was arrested in an operation to uncover the largest marijuana plantation in Montenegro in August last year.
They, deciding on the proposal of the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica from January 16th for the extension of detention, issued a decision to extend Maraš's detention for another month.
Maraš's detention was extended due to the risk of flight and repetition of the criminal offense, and he is suspected of having committed a criminal offense - illegal production, possession and distribution of narcotics.
According to the allegations in the order to conduct the investigation and the case file, the defendant is suspected of having illegally produced hemp with two other people in the Crmnica village of Trnovo, in the municipality of Bar, from an unspecified date until August 23rd last year.
"ZM is reasonably suspected of having acquired around 15.000 marijuana seeds in Albania from a currently unknown person, which he first planted in cups, and then, after the seedlings sprouted, transplanted to several plots in the town of Trnovo. He regularly took care of them and maintained them for successful cultivation. He also organized an irrigation system by installing a 'drop-by-drop' installation, filling the pool with water delivered by tankers, all with the intention of growing the narcotic drug to full maturity, harvesting it, drying it and preparing it for further sale," the statement reads.
"During the field activities undertaken by the competent authorities, wooden materials were also found, intended for the construction of a hangar in which the grown drugs would be stored. After conducting operational actions, officers of the Police Directorate - Department for Suppression of Cross-Border Crime and Corruption, on August 23 of this year, seized a total of 13.100 marijuana seedlings from the aforementioned plots," the Supreme Court reminds.
Maraš was initially remanded in custody by a decision of the investigating judge of the Higher Court in Podgorica dated August 26, 2025, and extended by a decision of the Criminal Chamber of that court dated September 23 and a decision of the Supreme Court dated November 21 last year. According to this decision of the Supreme Court, his detention may last until February 24.
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