UP: Another migrant smuggling chain through Montenegro disrupted

Pljevlja police arrested Bangladeshi citizen Royal Khan and Afghan citizen Rabbani Armani on suspicion of smuggling migrants.

The Police Directorate announced that with this activity they had interrupted another chain of migrant smuggling through the territory of Montenegro.

"As part of continuous activities aimed at combating migrant smuggling and improving state border security, police officers of the Border Police Sector - Regional Border Police Center 'North', taking increased measures to monitor the state border and border area, in accordance with the current intelligence picture of migration movements in Montenegro, last night carried out activities during which two foreign citizens suspected of migrant smuggling were deprived of their liberty," the Police Directorate announced.

They point out that with this activity they have interrupted another chain of migrant smuggling through the territory of Montenegro.

Yesterday, on the Pljevlja-Metaljka road, in the village of Gotovuša, the border police in Pljevlja checked eight people who did not have identification documents with them. Subsequent checks determined that they were Bangladeshi citizens, from whom statements were taken in official premises.

"Taking further measures and actions within their jurisdiction, police officers, through checks conducted, identified RK, a citizen of Bangladesh, among the persons from the aforementioned group, who is suspected of having, together with another person, for a financial reward, organized the smuggling of this group of migrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina towards Greece. In order to find another person connected to the aforementioned event, police officers conducted a search of the area, during which they found RA, a citizen of Afghanistan, in the town of Boljanica, who is also suspected of being connected to the smuggling of the aforementioned group of migrants," the statement reads.

The police also state that, during the criminal investigation of this event, it was determined that the smugglers received instructions for the implementation of the aforementioned activities from currently unknown persons outside the territory of Montenegro, which will be the subject of further investigation.

"The information collected and the criminal checks conducted led to suspicions that RK and RA, in addition to activities related to migrant smuggling, committed violence against this group of persons, as well as that they treated them in a manner that endangered their safety and human dignity," the Police Directorate added.

They say that this institution continues with decisive activities aimed at combating organized migrant smuggling, protecting migrants from exploitation and dangerous forms of smuggling, as well as strengthening the security and efficient management of the state border as the future external border of the European Union.

"At the same time, border police officers will continue to intensify surveillance and protection of the state border and improve international cooperation with the aim of combating all forms of cross-border crime, preserving security and fulfilling Montenegro's obligations in the process of accession to the European Union," the statement reads.