Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnić announced that about 60 kilograms of cocaine were found on the school ship "Jadran" and the drug trafficking chain was broken thanks to a joint military operation by intelligence officers, the police, the National Security Agency (ANB) and the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT), even though the prime minister Duško Marković congratulated only the institutions headed by Veselin Veljović and Miljan Perović at that event.
A few hours after the information about the discovery of cocaine on the sailing ship was disclosed on April 19, Marković wrote on the Government's Twitter account:
"I congratulate the Intelligence and Security Directorate and the Police Directorate for preventing the smuggling of a large amount of narcotics. With this effectively implemented action, Montenegro confirms that it has an effective security system that is characterized by professionalism and responsibility".
Katnić, however, insisted that the action was the result of integrated action. At the day before yesterday's press conference at the Ministry of Defense, which was attended by representatives of that government department and the police, Katnić said that the provisions of the Law on Criminal Procedure were acted upon.
"Here we talked about the fact that it is the ANB, the intelligence structures of the Army of Montenegro, the criminal police and the SDT, and everyone else from the system. When they discover that a criminal offense has been committed, they immediately notify the competent prosecutor, in this particular case SDT, and on the instructions of the prosecutor's office or on their own initiative, take actions to identify the perpetrators, to prevent the destruction of evidence, objects of the criminal offense... In this particular case, acted is according to these provisions, strictly. SDT also coordinated these activities, all structures were unique and this action is the result of that," said Katnić.
Neither the government nor the prosecutor's office answered "Vijesti" yesterday why Marković congratulated only the institutions led by Perović and Veljović, that is, how they comment on the difference in statements and positions.
The Ministry of Defense also, immediately after disclosing information about the discovery of drugs on the school ship, announced that "based on the operational actions of authorized officials of the Department for Military Intelligence and Security Affairs, it was learned that certain criminal groups intend to take advantage of the cruise of the school ship "Jadran" for carrying out criminal activities".
"In the early hours of the morning, the military police conducted an inspection and search of the school ship 'Jadran', during which dozens of kilograms of substances suspected to be psychoactive substances were found. The Police Directorate and the competent prosecutor's office have been informed about the above," the Ministry of Defense stated.
The day before yesterday, Katnić presented a slightly different version of events - according to which the criminal group was followed for months, avoiding to answer whether it is true that the cocaine was found by military intelligence.
"Acting on the initial information that came from the intelligence and security directorate of the Ministry of Defense and ANB, several months ago, work began on collecting evidence of the activities of a criminal organization that was involved in the trade of narcotic drugs on an international scale. I emphasize that without the correct and timely decisions of the Minister of Defense, who allowed the UP officers to work in the VCG facilities, it would not be possible to collect evidence, nor monitor the activities of individual members of the criminal organization, nor identify individuals from the VCG who accepted membership in the criminal organization and who acted in the direction of the implementation of the criminal plan through the facilities of the Army of Montenegro", said Katnić.
About 60 kilograms of high-purity cocaine, worth about five million euros, was seized on the "Jadran".
The drugs were supposed to be unloaded in Turkey, and heroin was to be taken over in that country for the domestic and European markets.
Two members of the Army, one civilian were arrested, while warrants were issued for two more people.
Because of the attempt to smuggle that drug, the Special State Prosecutor's Office and the police are looking for Vladimir Račić, a close associate of Pljevlja drug lord Darko Šarić. Apart from Račić, they are also chasing Dejan Rovčanin.
Handcuffs were put on Radomir Osmajić from Tivat and members of the Army of Montenegro Miloš Kulić and Duško Radenović.
The investigators at the press conference did not specify whether the head of the criminal group was among the arrested, but they said that they are working on the identification of other members of the drug cartel and their arrest.
At the end of December last year, Račić was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison before the Special Court in Belgrade on suspicion that he participated with Sarić and his associates in smuggling 5,7 tons of cocaine from South America to Europe.
He was tried in absentia.
Apart from Račić, Radenović is also allegedly connected to Pljevljak - the interlocutor of "Vijesti" claims that he was previously engaged in security work in one of the bars of which Šarić is the informal owner.
Despite the close ties of the alleged organizer of the smuggling of 60 kilograms of cocaine with Sarić, it was speculated in the security structures that they were also checking the possible involvement of members of the Skaljar criminal clan in that business.
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