Šćepanović: Three people suspected of following police vehicles and leaders with the intention of thwarting actions

Police have arrested Nemanja Zurovac (29) and Mehmed Mekić (21), while searching for Vasilije Lakić (22), all from Herceg Novi, on suspicion that, as members of an organized criminal group, they committed the criminal offenses of criminal association and participation in a group that prevented officials from performing their official duties with several currently unknown persons.

They are suspected of having monitored police officers, as well as official vehicles, using sophisticated electronic equipment and remote devices in the territories of Podgorica, Herceg Novi and Nikšić with the intention of informing members of the criminal group of their movements and activities when the police took action.

Police Directorate Director Lazar Šćepanović said that arresting members of organized crime groups is an imperative of the Police Directorate.

He explained that this action was specific and complex and that it was carried out in cooperation with the police, the Higher State Prosecutor's Office and the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica.

"The planned activities of an active cell of a branch of a high-profile criminal group... which was implementing counter-surveillance measures, preventing law enforcement agencies from providing evidence, revealing unsolved criminal acts, as well as preventing and disabling the discovery of locations where internationally wanted persons are hiding...", Šćepanović said at a press conference.

He added that as part of yesterday's operation, searches were carried out at 14 locations in Budva, Bar and Herceg Novi.

"On that occasion, a large amount of digital equipment, devices, and vehicles that were used as means of committing these criminal acts were found and seized. The result and balance of this action is the prosecution of three members of this high-profile criminal group," said the police director.

He explained that these were complex, sophisticated methods used by members of that criminal group.

"It is well-founded to suspect that this criminal group was undertaking counter-surveillance measures, monitoring police officers and official vehicles using sophisticated electronic equipment and devices remotely via an application and in real time on the territory of Podgorica, Herceg Novi and Nikšić. The intention was to prevent evidence of police actions, i.e. when the police took action, to inform members of the criminal group of their movements and activities with the intention of remaining undetected, not being located and deprived of their liberty."

Šćepanović said that members of this organized crime group used the application to remotely monitor the movements of, as determined so far, six police vehicles used by various police officers, and monitored their activities, as well as one leader and his vehicle in the Southern Region.

"Police officers detected the activities of this criminal group a month ago, took counterintelligence protection measures, hacked their server and the application through which this criminal group monitored police trains. Their activities were exposed and thwarted, and certain objects and devices used as a means to commit these criminal acts were found."

Šćepanović also said that their activities were focused on providing logistics to high-ranking targets who were the focus of the police and law enforcement agencies.

He also said that by cross-referencing other evidence after the expert examination, activities will continue in relation to related and close individuals who provided logistics to this criminal group.

"I would like to take this opportunity to remind the public of the fact that the person we deprived of his liberty today, NZ, has repeatedly violated the active supervision measure imposed on him by the court due to the failure to issue a first-instance verdict for serious criminal offenses, about which we informed the court, which remained silent on his actions, and the defendant NZ also publicly announced to the court that he would not comply with the imposed measures. These activities are the crowning proof that we have not deviated from the right path, but that we are systematically, decisively, courageously and uncompromisingly going face to face with those who pose the greatest threat to security," he said.

He added that the Police Directorate and the Prosecutor's Office, and especially the SDT, have clearly shown what is imperative, "while we are still waiting and appealing to the courts to issue verdicts within the legally prescribed deadline."

"Because the fact that OKG members remain at large due to the failure to issue verdicts further complicates the security situation and shows the inefficiency and arbitrariness of certain surveillance measures without legal consequences, which we have repeatedly pointed out and publicly claimed, and which confirms the justification of the request for an extension of detention, as well as the need to standardize the violation of surveillance measures as an independent criminal offense," said Šćepanović.