Prosecutor's Office Investigates Poultry Burial: The Role of the Utility Company in the Case of Infected Chickens is Being Examined

The Supreme State Prosecutor's Office (SPO) of Montenegro has informed the NGO "Euromost" from Bijelo Polje that their criminal report, filed against responsible persons in the Municipal Company "Lim" and other unidentified persons, has been submitted for further jurisdiction to the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Bijelo Polje.

"Euromost" has filed a criminal complaint against the responsible person in the Communal and Veterinary Service on suspicion of covering up the death and illegal burial of 18.000 poultry infected with bird flu.

In a letter from the State Prosecutor's Office dated March 19, 2026, signed by the State Prosecutor Danka Živković, it is stated that the report was filed on suspicion of committing three criminal offenses: transmission of infectious diseases in animals and plants, environmental pollution, and negligent performance of duties.

The Bijelo Polje Prosecutor's Office, as pointed out in the response of the State Prosecutor's Office, is now actually and territorially competent for the proceedings and making the final decision on this criminal report.

"The NGO "Euromost" expects that, regarding the secret illegal burial, the competent institutions will take action against all those responsible in this case, establish all illegalities in accordance with the law and their jurisdictions and inform the public, because if this does not happen, they will bear responsibility, because they will allow such illegal actions to continue. The NGO "Euromost" especially expects, in addition to the Basic State Prosecutor's Office, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Directorate for Inspection Affairs of the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North, to which reports have also been submitted, to go to the illegal temporary landfill in Dobrakovo and establish responsibility in the Municipal Company and to issue a solution, as in the case of the illegal temporary landfill "Mostina" in Rožaje", the NGO announced.

They also filed a complaint with the police's internal control unit against the responsible border police officers who allowed 10 trucks with dead poultry to cross the border without any control.

"Euromost" previously announced that, in addition to committing the crimes of spreading an infectious disease and polluting the environment and negligent work in the service, it is impossible that two private companies that have been engaged in poultry farming for 30 years do not have enough knowledge to transfer so many dead poultry across the Dobrakovo border crossing a month and a half ago, more precisely in early February.

"And all this time, everyone was silent, until the media got involved," the civil sector said.

The organization notes that in early February, in the territory of the municipality of Bijelo Polje, the Municipal Company buried 18.000 dead poultry at the location of an illegal temporary municipal waste landfill in the town of Dobrakovo, without the presence and supervision of the competent veterinary inspection, where the prescribed procedure for the disposal of animal by-products, that is, poultry that was infected with avian influenza, was not implemented.

This type of behavior, they say, poses a reasonable suspicion that human and animal health has been endangered, a risk of spreading infectious diseases has been created, and land and potentially groundwater have been polluted.

"It is particularly controversial that the burial was carried out at a location that was not intended for this type of waste, nor were the legally prescribed conditions (depth, disinfection, distance from water, etc.) respected, which is located near the Lim River. The utility company does not have a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency to use this temporary landfill, while the law clearly specifies that all animal waste cannot be buried at such landfills, but a special location must be sought, which the responsible persons from the utility company knew very well."

The organization suspects that bird flu has spread much more widely, but that the relevant authorities are trying to cover up the case and hide it from the public.

"The place is untidy, unfenced, and there are a large number of stray dogs and birds. Employees from this company are also present. We are asking for a solution to be reached and all poultry from this location to be removed and buried in a place that should be provided in accordance with the Veterinary Law and the Law on the Treatment of Animal By-Products," Euromost said.