Name of the fugitive police officer from Danilovgrad Darko Kalezić (44) was recorded in intelligence data, and not incidentally. He was recorded as one of the actors linked to the usurious structures in the town below Garč.
According to this information, the police officer who had been "pushing" sick leave for years was marked as a person of interest in security matters much earlier in official records.
Operational documents show that he appeared not only in the registers, but also in analytical processing that brings him into the direct context of illegal financial transactions and organized debt collection at interest.
"Security assessments indicate that the same names from Danilovgrad have been appearing in the context of loan sharking for years, and that due to the fear of the victims, this circle remains almost intact. This is also shown by the innovative findings on the participation of the most risky organized crime groups and persons of interest in terms of security in the field of loan sharking in Montenegro. Among the persons of interest in terms of security who have been intensively linked to such illegal activities in recent years is a member of the Danilovgrad police, Darko Kalezić, who has been on sick leave for a long time and is now on the run," intelligence data shows.
Montenegrin police have been searching for Kalezić since the end of October last year, on suspicion that he is with a former motorist. Darko (Danko) Bakrač (45), was the head of a criminal organization that for a long time was involved in smuggling skunk from Albania, through Montenegro and further to the countries of the European Union.
At the top of that criminal organization, against which the Special State Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation, it is suspected that there was also an Albanian citizen. SM (56)
The Special Police Department and the SDT have collected evidence that this criminal organization managed to smuggle several hundred kilograms of marijuana.
MORE USURDERERS IN THE CITY NEAR ZETA
In addition to Kalezić, the authorities have registered several loan sharks in Danilovgrad. Some of them have been identified as members of organized crime groups that closely cooperate with the Škaljar or Kavač clans.
The names of most of them are also found in the "Vijesti" questionnaire, in the responses of victims or people close to them, and some are reported to have been lending money at interest for more than two decades.
"As part of several years of operational monitoring and analysis of the phenomenon of usury in the territory of Danilovgrad, the services have recorded four persons with the surnames as persons of interest to security. Pavicevic - D., D., A. i V., whereby a change in personal data was registered for one of the mentioned persons. According to available information, the mentioned persons are continuously linked to lending money at disproportionately high interest rates, for personal gain. In the same security context, through operational and analytical processing, the following were also registered: V. Popovic i B. Djurkovic", data from the security sector show.
However, in the context of usury, security services are focusing special attention on the cell of the Skaljar clan active in the territory of Danilovgrad and the Capital, which, according to intelligence data, is run by the brothers Jovovich.
"A criminal group of a large number of Podgorica residents, but also people from Danilovgrad and other municipalities, led by the brothers F. and V. Jovović, has long been a significant security challenge in Montenegro. It brings together perpetrators of all types of crimes - from smuggling and distribution of narcotics, through usury and money laundering, to the most serious crimes. This group has participated in physical attacks on several criminals, as well as on police officers in Montenegro, in racketeering of certain politicians from Serbia during their stays in Montenegro, as well as in incidents directed against members of opposing OKGs and facilities owned by them. Recent data indicate that the Jovović brothers are important logistics for several criminal activities, including usury, M. i V. VukovicOperational data indicates that there have been recent disagreements between the Jovović brothers and a person of security interest close to the Škaljari clan, M. Radulović", regarding the division of territory for the distribution of cocaine in the Danilovgrad and Podgorica areas," intelligence data shows.
An interlocutor from the security sector explains that one of the models of organized crime groups is to, in addition to money, give young people cocaine on credit - with interest, if the money is not returned within the agreed deadline:
"It has been registered that this is precisely the model for recruiting new members, who later repay the debt by selling cocaine on the street. In Danilovgrad, a large number of young people have been recorded who take on debt for sums that they cannot repay later, even with the help of their family and the sale of family property. This problem is also evident in other cities, especially smaller areas where employment opportunities are limited. Operational data shows that individuals from the Zagorička cell of the Kavač clan also appear as holders of loan sharking businesses in the territory of the Danilovgrad settlement of Spuž."
They also explain that, according to earlier operational files, two more brothers were recorded among the Danilovgrad loan sharks, one of whom has been living in Serbia for more than two decades.
In a survey conducted as part of the "Vijesti" research, respondents listed several more names as individuals from whom they borrowed money at interest, but these names do not match the operational data of the security sector.
"Vijesti" has already reported that the security sector emphasizes that there are no results in the fight against loan sharks due to several major problems in prosecuting loan shark groups.
"The main problems in prosecuting usury groups in Montenegro are the victim's fear, the lack of material evidence, because the money is given to them without a receipt. The only evidence is often the victim's testimony, and often the withdrawal of the statement. It often happens that the victim reports usury, but under pressure or threats at the trial itself, changes his statement and says that he was actually only given a favor and that it was an interest-free loan. Then the case falls apart," the documents state.
In the midst of a feuilleton about the scale of usury in Montenegro, the Police Directorate announced that, by order of the director of that security institution, Lazar Šćepanović, two special teams have been formed with the task of systematically and thoroughly examining all cases of usury reported so far, as well as investigating how their colleagues acted in these cases in the previous period. They also stated that the task of these teams is to take all legally prescribed measures and actions in new cases, with special care and sensitivity, in order to protect the personal and property security of citizens.
Explaining that usury is often linked to other criminal acts, such as violent behavior, extortion, threats, and physical injuries, the security institution called on citizens to report usury to them, guaranteeing them a professional and conspiratorial approach...
CHARITY ACTS IN THE COURT ROOM
There is a silent but deadly epidemic in Montenegro - usury, which destroys lives, families and destinies. The usurers, who wait for a moment of weakness, are mostly not strangers, they are often neighbors, childhood friends, and even family members or godparents. They listen for the coming of trouble, they see when you are running out of money, when you are sick or desperate, and then act as "benefactors".
Debt that initially seems bearable grows with interest after interest, families break up, children suffer. There are many suicides due to debt bondage.
Security services have recorded dozens of cases of people who took their own lives because they could not withstand the pressure or threats from loan sharks. A "Vijesti" investigation showed that among them were fathers of three children, young men and women... All of them, according to the interviewees and the questionnaire, committed suicide due to the inability to repay the debt.
Others had their homes confiscated, family members threatened, and interest rates imposed that no one could pay.
Such is the case with the interlocutors of "Vijesti" from a town in northern Montenegro, who claim that they did not even know that their family house was mortgaged until the oldest family member passed away two years ago.
The family, two of whose members spoke to the journalist, is now trying to get the house back through a lawsuit filed before the Basic Court in Pljevlja, in which they are challenging the fictitious purchase and sale contract. They allege that the usurer and his witnesses tried to present the defendant before the judge as a good friend and benefactor, who was now helping the deceased Pljevlja resident out of humanitarian reasons, and not lending money at interest.
In the conversation, they point out that they intended to report the loan shark to the police, but that they were advised to do so at the Criminal Police Sector.
"The late father is from B. Tešović In 2010, he borrowed 5.000 euros. He allegedly paid him interest, but the following year his debt had grown to 20.000 euros. Then Tešović, an acquaintance from the area, took him to a notary to 'sell him the house', through a fictitious purchase and sale agreement. Although after my father's death we heard several versions of why the money was borrowed, including that he took the money to help us, before he died and before the first call from the loan shark, none of us had any idea about the whole situation," claims the interlocutor of "Vijesti".
He adds that, in addition to the shock of learning about the debt and the mortgaged house, they also faced threats and pressure.
"Two years ago, when we found out about everything, that is, after my father's death, Tešović started pressuring the three of us, me, my brother and my mother. He pressured the entire family. He asked for 20.000, then 30.000 euros. We gave him money, to try to somehow repay or reduce the debt he mentioned, but it was impossible, because the interest rate was growing incredibly," says the interlocutor.
The family claims that Tešović used every opportunity to pressure them, in various ways.
"He threatened to sell the house, imposed interest that could not be paid, and created pressure through a network of acquaintances and relatives, including people who work in local institutions and the cadastre. Everything he did was designed to financially exhaust and deceive us. We tried to contact the institutions, first the police, but they told us to go to the Criminal Police Department, where the usurer's relative works. Then we contacted a lawyer and found out that we were not the only victims of the same person. Our fellow citizens sued him for the same thing and won in court. But he remains at large, although everyone knows what he does," the source said.
FICTITIOUS CONTRACT
The family says that they then decided to protect their property and filed a lawsuit with the Basic Court in Pljevlja to annul the fictitious contract.
"The contracts that exist for the house, as if he bought it from us, are fictitious. We reported all this to the lawyer, but the first lawyer who handled the case retired, and the new, young lawyer, had only a few days to prepare for the hearing. The court process was delayed, and we also suspect that they were biased, because they tried to end the first hearing in his favor. As incredible as it may be, he brought false witnesses, including a relative from the police, to whom we were supposed to report the usury."
They point out that contact with Tešović is minimal, mostly by phone, but that threats still exist...
"We and our fellow citizens who won in court are not the only victims of B. Tešović. In the same way, he took at least five houses here, some even killed themselves because he took their property, but that doesn't bother him that he lives with his family in the house of a man who killed himself because of pressure and debts... Everyone here knows who he is and what he does, although he says that he earned his real estate in Pljevlja, Podgorica and Budva by selling materials... We will certainly continue the fight in court, hoping that justice will be served. This was a fight against injustice and against a man whose entire city knows what he does, including the authorities, but they just shrug their shoulders," the interlocutor points out.
Two years ago, when we found out about everything, or rather after my father's death, Tešović started pressuring the three of us, me, my brother and my mother. He pressured the whole family. He asked for 20.000, then 30.000 euros. We gave him money, to try to somehow repay or reduce the debt he mentioned, but it was impossible, because the interest rate was growing incredibly...
Research by "Vijesti" shows that debt bondage does not only happen to the "irresponsible". Anyone can fall into it - both the calm and the hardworking, both the hardworking and the responsible, both the strong and the weak. The loan sharks are just waiting for a moment of weakness.
This is confirmed by the survey results - some citizens took on debt out of necessity, when institutional assistance was unavailable or too slow, while a significant number went into debt to maintain a lifestyle beyond their realistic means or to cover gambling losses, decisions that today, in a conversation with a journalist, they recognize as serious personal mistakes.
Whoever lends money or other consumable items and thereby contracts a disproportionate material benefit shall be punished by imprisonment for up to three years and a fine, reads the description of the criminal offense of "usury" in the Criminal Code (CC) of Montenegro.
If the usurer "takes advantage of the poor financial situation, difficult circumstances, necessity, frivolity or insufficient ability to reason of the injured party", he will be punished with imprisonment from three months to three years and a fine.
The Criminal Code stipulates that a loan shark can be punished with imprisonment from six months to five years and a fine if serious consequences have occurred for the injured party or the perpetrator has obtained material gain in an amount exceeding three thousand euros.
In tomorrow's "News", read who the loan sharks from Zeta are and the confession of a woman whose loan sharks, in addition to real estate, stole money from her account with the help of her "friend", and destroyed her marriage...
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