The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) indicated today that the operational information that led to the location and arrest of Vuk Vulević (51) in Belgrade, as well as the planning and implementation of the operation itself, were the result of the work of MUP members.
The statement says that the arrest operation on the territory of Serbia, acting in accordance with the law and jurisdiction, was carried out by members of the Criminal Police Directorate, the Special Actions Department and the Belgrade City Police Directorate - Intervention Unit 92.
It was pointed out that "international police cooperation, action on international arrest warrants and exchange of information with partner services represent a regular and significant segment of the fight against organized crime."
"However, for the sake of accurate public information, it is necessary to clearly distinguish international cooperation from the operational work that directly led to the location, planning and execution of a specific arrest," it states.
The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs added that it will continue to professionally cooperate with all partner services in the fight against organized crime.
Fugitive Beranec Vuk Vulević was arrested yesterday in Belgrade, the director of the Police Directorate (UP) Lazar Šćepanović officially confirmed to "Vijesti" last night.
He also announced that Vulević was deprived of his liberty based on an arrest warrant issued for him by Montenegro.
Montenegrin police are searching for Vulević on suspicion that he is part of the organized crime group of Vaso Ulic and Radoje Zvicer.
He is charged with the production, possession and trafficking of drugs, as well as illegal possession of weapons, and he was wanted by both Montenegrin and Serbian judicial authorities, according to a statement from the Serbian Ministry of the Interior yesterday.
During his arrest, forged personal documents issued in Kosovo were found on him, which is why, as announced, criminal charges will be filed on suspicion of forging the document.
The suspect will be questioned at the Special Department for Organized Crime of the High Court in Belgrade.
An international Interpol red notice was issued for him in September 2024 after the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) opened an investigation into Operation "General" in July of that year.
The SDT accused Vulević of being part of an international network, led by Radoje Zvicer and Vaso Ulic, that attempted to smuggle around 2,5 tons of cocaine from South America to Europe and Australia.
Through communication analysis on the Sky application, SDT connects Beranca with tracking the routes of these shipments of valuable drug cargoes from Latin America to Europe and Australia.
During the two years since the opening of the investigation in Operation "General", the Montenegrin police have conducted numerous searches of locations in northern Montenegro in search of Vulević, but these searches have not yielded any results in locating him.
Over the past few months, security services have had intelligence that Vulević has been hiding in Serbia the entire time.
Interior Minister Danilo Šaranović announced today that the arrest of Vulević in Belgrade, on the basis of a red international arrest warrant issued by Montenegro, represents yet another confirmation that the era of the untouchables is over.
"Vulević was being sought as part of the international case 'General', one of the most complex international operations aimed at dismantling a criminal organization suspected of smuggling more than 2,5 tons of cocaine from South America to Europe and Australia," Šaranović said in a statement.
Šaranović also said that Vulević had the power to influence the selection of Berane police leaders, determine the movement of police patrols, and enable the smooth functioning of cigarette smuggling routes.
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Deputy Prime Minister for Security, Defense, Fight against Crime and Internal Policy Aleksa Bečić said last night regarding the arrest of Vulević - "strikes on all forms of crime and all criminal organizations almost every hour."
"Tonight, another great news for the security sector and the rule of law in Montenegro. It has been confirmed that fugitive Vuk Vulević, who is charged in Montenegro with committing serious crimes, has been deprived of his liberty according to a Montenegrin international arrest warrant. The impressive series of deprivations of liberty of the most significant fugitives from justice continues and their number is significantly reduced. Former local sheriffs and governors when the security sector was run by crime, are today either in the Spuž or in a panicked flight with a clean and professional security sector," Bečić emphasized in a statement.
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