Outcome of police-prosecutor activities in Mareza: Nine foreign citizens arrested

The results of police and prosecutorial activities, which the Police Directorate, in cooperation and coordination with the State Prosecutor's Office, is conducting regarding checks on more than 50 foreign citizens found in a facility on Mareza in Podgorica, resulted in the arrest of nine foreign citizens, the police announced.

Ukrainian Viktorija Vovk (28) was arrested by order of the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica, on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of illegally engaging in commercial, banking, stock exchange and insurance activities.

"It is suspected that VV hired a large number of citizens of Ukraine, Moldova and Slovakia to carry out these activities, and that it paid them salaries in cash for their work engagement, contrary to the provisions of the Labor Law and regulations governing payment transactions in Montenegro," the police said.

Slovak citizens Ladislav Ivanisko (27) and Adrijan Vozar (25), Moldovan citizens Andei Rotari (29) and Danijela Cojocari (29), and Ukrainian citizens Oleksander Makszmkin, Maksim Hela, Petro Koval (30) and Andri Roško (22) were arrested for committing a violation of the Law on Foreigners, which relates to illegal residence in Montenegro.

"These persons will be brought before the competent Minor Offense Court today, after which the alien inspectors will take further repressive measures within their jurisdiction regarding the cancellation of their residence in Montenegro, in accordance with the law," the police added.

They explained that during a search of the Villa "Mareza", where these individuals were found, as well as several vehicles and other residential buildings, more than 50.000 euros in cash, more than 100 computers and pieces of computer equipment, 82 mobile phones, a large number of which were encrypted, 217 SIM cards, GPS devices with cards, a drone, and one vehicle for further checks were found and seized.

Among the people found was a 17-year-old minor who was temporarily placed in a foster family, and who was also found to have no registered residence in Montenegro.

"The Police Directorate and the State Prosecutor's Office continue to take measures and actions within the framework of the investigation, the progress of which, in accordance with the interests of the procedure, will be communicated to the public in phases, as well as the results of the activities undertaken," the statement reads.

"Vijesti" announced today that, according to unofficial information the newspaper has received from several sources, some of the foreign citizens found on Mareza had been living and working in Montenegro for months, and that the police suspect that some of them are hackers who were withdrawing money from the accounts of Russian citizens.

According to this information, foreign citizens came to Montenegro successively, and some of them stayed in the country for more than half a year. During that time, "Vijesti" was told, they worked for a company whose headquarters were in a house in Mareza.