The packages of cocaine marked with a blue rooster and a horseshoe with a clover were part of a shipment of approximately 1,57 tons of drugs that, according to the indictment of the Special State Prosecutor's Office, was supposed to be transported from Colombia to Australia.
The SDT indictment states that Christian Drešaj, Arso Saric, Novak Joksimovic, Davor Kordic i Rajko Smolovic At the beginning of 2020, they became members of a criminal organization that, according to the prosecution, they formed Vaso Ulic, Radoje Switzerland i Slobodan Kascelan.
The cocaine was found during the transfer by the authorities of Colombia and the United States (USA) - 114 nautical miles off the coast of Malpelo Island.
It is alleged that during this operation, a fire broke out on one of the vessels, and that the defendants threw packages of cocaine from another vessel into the ocean, after which US Coast Guard officers found and recovered 240 kilograms of the narcotic drug in the water...
"They found and seized the narcotic drug cocaine, which was in a large number of individual packages, so-called bricks, on the vessels, of which 714 kg of the narcotic drug cocaine was found and seized on one of the vessels, while there was a fire on it, during which time EG-T. from Colombia, WPYM from Ecuador, LAV from Colombia and LENVD from Colombia were found on the ship and deprived of their liberty and criminal proceedings were initiated against them by the competent state authorities, while on the other boat, unidentified persons - crew members, fled and during that time threw packages of cocaine from the vessel in question into the ocean, after which officers of the US Coast Guard found and recovered 240 kg of the narcotic drug cocaine in the ocean," the indictment of the special prosecutor states, among other things. Sanje Jovicević.
The group, according to the indictment, operated in Montenegro, Colombia, Ecuador, Australia and the Netherlands. The prosecution claims that the criminal organization was formed to gain illegal profit and power, and that its operations were planned for an unlimited period of time.
According to the indictment, the members had predetermined tasks, used encrypted Sky communication, but also used business structures and money acquired through criminal activity.
According to the indictment, Drešaj was responsible for overseeing the implementation of the plan, securing money, recruiting other members, participating in meetings and connecting members of the group via a now-decrypted telephone program. The prosecution also claims that he transferred money and encrypted messages related to the transfers of funds.
Šarić is accused of overseeing the implementation of the criminal plan, providing money, recruiting members, organizing meetings and participating in meetings with the organizers and other members of the group. He is also said to have participated in the procurement of a ship that was to be used to transport cocaine.
Joksimović is alleged to have exchanged messages with other members of the organization, connected members via Sky, and forwarded pins used in that application.
According to the SDT, Kordić monitored the course of the plan, exchanged and transmitted messages to other members of the group, but also provided and transferred money for the needs of the criminal organization, while Smolović exchanged messages about the implementation of the plan and the provision of money, participated in meetings, acquired devices for encrypted communication and extended Sky accounts to members of the organization.
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25 kg packages
The indictment describes how the cocaine was packaged in individual 25-kilogram packages, some of which had a blue rooster stamp on them, while others were marked with a horseshoe with a four-leaf clover and the marking “RM 11.” It says the drugs were then placed in black bags tied with a green ribbon marked “200.”
Prosecutor Jovićević states that the drugs were divided into shares among the members of the organization, so Kristijan Drešaj's share was part of the total quantity of 500 kilograms of cocaine which, according to the indictment, belonged to Vaso Ulić, DN and DV.
Arso Šarić allegedly had a share of 20 kilograms, while Novak Joksimović's share is still being determined...
The prosecution also states that other members of the group had shares of 100, 35, 300, eight and ten kilograms, while the remaining portion of the cocaine belonged to other defendants and currently unknown persons.
According to the indictment, the cocaine was loaded onto vessels in the territory of Colombia, on the orders of Vaso Ulic, which were transmitted and executed in the field by MB. The drugs were transported from October 27 to 29, 2020, to a location marked in SKY ECC messages with the coordinates “4N. 80 W”. There, according to the SDT, it was supposed to be reloaded onto a ship owned by an unidentified person with the nickname “F.”, for further transport to Australia.
The plan was interrupted on October 28-29, 2020, when Colombian and US authorities intercepted the vessels at a location 114 nautical miles off the coast of Malpelo Island in Colombia...
“Vaso is not a pauper”
Radoje Zvicer and Vaso Ulić, as "Vijesti" previously reported, arranged through an intermediary to meet and work out the details of a cocaine smuggling plan, but the head of the Kavač clan was wary of meeting on "foreign" territory.
The files of the Special State Prosecutor's Office state that both men, through "their people", who investigators have not yet identified, are trying to arrange a meeting in early 2021.
On Christmas that year, Ulić wrote to his interlocutor on Sky that they should see each other after the holidays: "Comrade, let these holidays pass. From Monday, see how, where and what day we can meet and talk. Let me tell you my side of the story for work," Ulić wrote under the nickname Rendž.
Kašćelan, who signed himself Hector on the then-protected telephone communication, replied that they could meet on January 10th.
"I'm waiting for you to let me know where to meet. You're welcome at my house. But, you see, then let me know," the man from Podgorica says in the next message.
Investigators add that the same two people, on the same occasion, continue communicating on January 11, 2021, when Kašćelan, after Ulić's greeting message, states that he is resting: "Today I am resting in the sauna, my friend, and what are you doing?":
Ulić then tells him: "I'm also resting, these days I'm in PG... I'll be in Ljuta from Wednesday afternoon, I'll be there for a few days." See when we can meet and where we can see each other'... Comrade, I would be glad if you would come to my place", to which he replied that he would come.
These communications show that Ulic is arranging to see him in order to connect him with Zvicer, special prosecutors claim in the document.
They say that these allegations are confirmed by Zvicer's communication with Kašćelana, also from January 11, 2021. Then, the files state, he tells Zvicer that they will go to Ulic together, and the defendant Zvicer responds:
"Is it allowed to go there?"
"To Ljuta, and why shouldn't he... He'll come there or we'll go to my house," the person from Kotor replies.
"So he doesn't set us up," Zvicer asks.
"They'll put you in a position somewhere," Kašćelan repeats, but Zvicer obviously doesn't believe it.
"We'll send someone to scout the area first, I don't trust anyone, without my inner circle... We shouldn't relax and every meeting should be our way," adds the head of the Kavačak clan.
His friend, who writes on the encrypted application under the PIN PCZIY1, replies: "Vaso won't... set it up... Well, they can come to us, but Vaso is an honest man, he's not a scoundrel."
Two days later, Zvicer informs his friend that Vaso called him "and said that Okac will be at his place tomorrow at 11 am and he will tell me when he will be at my house"...
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New investigation into 903 kg smuggling
In mid-April, the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) announced that they had launched a new phase of the investigation against nine more people they suspect were part of the organized crime group of Ulic, Zvicer and Slobodan Kašćelan...
According to information from "Vijesti", this prosecution case includes Ljubo Milović, Mileta Ojdanić, Dragan Knežević, Radoje Živković, Milan Vujotić, Nikola Spasojević, Petar Lazović, Ratko Živković and Milan Knežević.
And the special prosecutors are charging these nine with creating a criminal organization and smuggling around 900 kilograms of cocaine - from South America to Europe and Australia.
The SDT announced that with the issuance of the order, criminal proceedings were initiated against nine defendants.
"The subject of the criminal proceedings is the activities of a criminal organization organized by the now-defendants VU, RZ and SK, whose members have also become defendants, with the aim of smuggling the narcotic drug cocaine from South America to Europe and Australia, as well as the smuggling of 903 kg of that type of drug in June 2020, which was prevented by the Australian detection authorities. The Special State Prosecutor's Office previously filed indictments against three organizers of the criminal organization and 22 of its other members for the criminal offense of creating a criminal organization and several criminal offenses of unauthorized production, possession and distribution of narcotic drugs, which have been confirmed and for which the main trial is underway before the High Court in Podgorica," the prosecutor's office, headed by Chief Special Prosecutor Vladimir Novović, announced at the time.
The general will depart in mid-2023.
The first part of Operation "General" was implemented in July 2023, when Montenegrin security services, in cooperation with international partners, launched a coordinated operation to arrest and collect evidence against members of the criminal network associated with Ulić and Zvicer.
The action at that time marked the beginning of the dismantling of the wider structure of the group, and investigators obtained key evidence through decrypted Sky and Anom communications.
At that time, the order to conduct an investigation, and later the indictment for smuggling 2,5 tons of cocaine, included - Radoje Zvicer, Vaso Ulić and his son Nikola, Dragan Pavličević, Vuk Vulević, Radule Božović, Ivan Delić, Viktor and Leon Drešaj, Milo Božović, Damir Mandić, Vjekoslav Lambulić, Veselin Paro Pavličić, Vukan (Vinetu) Čoković Matić, Mileta Božović, Radomir Dobriša, Petar Miranović, Marinko Prelević and Radovan Pantović.
"Vijesti" reported at the time that, in this international operation, investigators from the SDT and the Special Police Department (SPO) had been working closely for months with the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
This is the first time that the US DEA and FBI have directly participated in an investigation with the Special Police Department.
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