Grand, Mrkić and Acov Macedonian: Golubović and Stanaj's group monitored the work of competitors in cigarette smuggling

A criminal organization that, according to the indictment of the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT), was led by a former secret agent Dusko Golubovic and businessman Sander Stanaj, followed with particular interest information about competing smuggling channels, especially those linked to fugitives Aleksandar Aco Mrkić, rejoicing at the "fall" of their trucks with duty-free cigarettes.

This is stated in the SDT document, which quotes messages exchanged by members of the group on the then encrypted Sky application.

According to the indictment, they purchased duty-free cigarettes from several countries in Europe and Asia, including Bulgaria, Turkey and India, and transported them by sea or land via Serbia.

After arriving in Montenegro, the cigarettes were stored in the Free Customs Zone of the Port of Bar, from where, while avoiding customs supervision, they would be exported from the zone in an organized manner, taken over and transported to warehouses in Podgorica and Tuzi.

From that logistical system, members of the organization, including Abedin Pepić, Nua Stanaja i Dejan Milić, they took over the goods and, through a series of couriers, delivered them to the agreed-upon buyers in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy.

"That the goal of its establishment (the criminal organization) is also to gain power can also be concluded from the correspondence of some of the defendants, when they comment that other criminal organizations in Montenegro, which they designate as 'Acova', 'Mrkićeva', 'Grand' and others, are obviously also smuggling cigarettes, especially when they are thwarted in this by law enforcement agencies. In relation to this, the correspondence also shows the defendants' desire to position themselves as well as possible on the illegal cigarette market in Montenegro and other countries in order to gain as much illegal profit as possible compared to others," the indictment states...

This, as it is written, is particularly indicated by Golubović's messages sent to Sander Stanaj: "Now Mrkić's truck has fallen... He left the port, these people followed him... What fools... He's trying ha ha... That's the first time he's tried it on his head," the prosecutors quote some of the SMSes sent via the protected program.

In the same context, they also cite the correspondence between Stanaj and Pepić, who asks "whose goods are these"...

"That's what Grand does, but they take it as if he's going to some African country, so they send him to Dubai and bring him back here."

The group members thus conclude, the prosecutors state, that they cannot obtain "Trokadero" and "FM" brand cigarettes and that no one can buy them, because they are sold by a Macedonian controlled by "Aco from Granda", or that "he is not allowed to sell them to anyone because he had problems with them"...

"It is also clear that the criminal organization is organized to operate for an unlimited period of time, since it is obvious from the correspondence of certain defendants, and which is logical, that cigarette smuggling involves their production, procurement, transportation to Montenegro, storage, and then exportation of untaxed cigarettes to the customs area, as well as further transfer, hiding in various locations, and then sale, or transfer abroad for sale," the indictment explains.

It is added that it is obvious from the correspondence of some of the defendants that they are planning or at least agreeing and finding new ways to smuggle cigarettes - in paper, wood... and from other destinations and to other locations, that is, in territories and countries other than those in which they currently operate:

"They are seeking and negotiating alternative solutions and routes for smuggling, which again speaks of their intention to undertake such activities not only continuously but also in the future, and obviously for as long as it is possible for them to act, adapting to all emerging circumstances."

Elaborate group

The indictment describes that the organization had a clearly defined hierarchy - Golubović and Stanaj were at the helm, Stanaj, among other things, procured cigarettes from abroad and arranged routes and buyers, while Golubović supervised the illegal removal of goods from the Free Customs Zone.

In the operational part, it is alleged, other defendants such as Adnan Suković and Veton Berišaj played key roles, organizing the transport of goods from the warehouse and their distribution to final destinations, as well as hiding the actions from the competent authorities.

At the same time, communications within the network show that members had pre-arranged ways of behaving when goods were seized or arrests were made - including instructions not to identify other members and to arrange legal assistance, as well as attempts to prevent their communication devices from being used as evidence - the so-called "Sky frying".

The fact that Duško Golubović, as one of the organizers, was a police officer in the department for the fight against organized crime and corruption at the beginning of 2020, after a long time working at the National Security Agency (ANB), is emphasized.

The prosecutor alleges in the indictment that, while performing official duties, he had access to information that was strategically important for the criminal organization and that he transferred or used that information in a manner that benefited the cigarette smuggling network.

In one of the quoted messages, Golubović informs Stanaj that "the cigarette containers are being monitored," and then gives instructions on alternative routes and hiding the goods.

The prosecution, as they state, believes that Golubović, through his role in the police, had insight and access to data on how official investigations against other smugglers were conducted, which, according to the indictment, enabled the organization to react in a timely manner and avoid revealing its own channels.

Golubović previously told the High Court that he had no evidence that he knew or had any connection to the 13 people included in the indictment, except Sander Stanaj. He stated that he had known him and his family for more than 20 years.

"I never suspected that his company was involved in illegal business, nor did I receive any material or financial benefit from him. He never misled me or involved me in any illegal business," he said.

He pointed out that the SDT has neither material nor personal evidence that he participated in the transfer of untaxed tobacco products across the customs line, and that the indictment does not state the place, time, and manner in which he allegedly committed the crimes.

"My connection to any police or customs officer, port worker, or my presence at the Port of Bar has not been established. This clearly indicates that I did not participate in the criminal act of cigarette smuggling, which I will prove during the court proceedings," Golubović stated.

Send goods, follow companies

The indictment states that the influence of a criminal organization on the Police Administration and the Customs Administration can be concluded primarily from the fact that Golubović, as one of the organizers, was a police officer in the organizational unit responsible for fighting corruption at the time the group was active...

"And that he obviously had certain information important for the criminal organization, which he gained through police work. He informed the other organizer, the defendant Sander Stanaj, that the containers with cigarettes of the criminal organization were being "monitored": "And the goods that are in your company, you should send them somewhere by ship, reload them into another container, wait 7 days and return them to Montenegro, because these companies from the region are being monitored."

The defendant Sander Stanaj informed Nuo Stanaj about this, and he informed Perić via messages:

"We will most likely have to send all the goods we have down in Bar to Libya... Everything... Everything is under control"...