Twelve arrests, operations in several countries, activity across five continents, and the seizure of 4.2 tons of drugs. This is the outcome of an international police operation carried out in Montenegro and Germany.
Among those arrested in Montenegro is S.F., whom local police described as one of the leaders of the Balkan cartel.
Montenegrin media identified him as Svetislav Filipović, and he is suspected of the production, possession, and distribution of illegal narcotics.
He faces up to 15 years in prison and is also charged with illegal trade in weapons and explosives.
Little information is publicly available about him, but during the publication of data on the operation, Europol stated that a high-risk individual was arrested in Montenegro.
He is from Podgorica and is 47 years old, and has been listed as the director of the company “Spectacular” since 2002, according to the public business registry “Company Wall”.
According to trade data platform Volza, which compiles global trade information, the company has received 139 shipments from 16 countries, including Ecuador, Ukraine, and Colombia.
It is reported that the company imported bananas, watermelons, dried fruit, and nuts, while one of its suppliers is also a company from Hong Kong.
In 2023, “Spectacular” generated total revenues of 664,206 euros.
Filipović is also a co-owner of the company “Europayment”.
The accounts of both companies have been frozen.
In addition to the arrests in Montenegro, four people were also arrested in Germany, but there is still limited information about them.
According to Europol, international police, several global organized crime groups operate in Germany, involved in a wide range of crimes such as drug trafficking, property crimes, and human smuggling.
“Deeply rooted” in cocaine trafficking routes
Those arrested on April 15 are accused of multi-ton shipments of cocaine from South America to European Union countries, said the head of Montenegro’s police directorate, Lazar Šćepanović.
According to him, the criminal group secured and mediated the sale of cocaine and cannabis in Montenegro and abroad, including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Bolivia, and Thailand.
This operation confirms that despite blows from previous operations, Balkan criminal groups have not disappeared but continue their activities by adapting and rebuilding their logistical chains, said Saša Đorđević from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
Balkan criminal groups remain deeply embedded in traditional cocaine trafficking routes, especially along the Latin America–Europe corridor, with Germany still being one of the key markets, he said.
Organized crime groups from the Western Balkans have been identified by international organizations such as Europol and Interpol as key actors in cocaine smuggling from Latin American countries—including Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador—mainly to Western European markets.
However, in addition to cocaine, cannabis was also trafficked—around 1.5 tons were seized in 12 separate confiscations.
According to Europol, cannabis was smuggled into the European Union from and through Albania, Thailand, and the United States.
The presence of cannabis, Đorđević explains, shows that Balkan criminal groups do not specialize only in cocaine.
“They are already operating opportunistically and entering other markets where they provide a secure channel and good profits,” he added.
Around 100 police officers participated in the latest operation, and in addition to German and Montenegrin institutions, Austria, Spain, and Europol also provided support.
Air transport used
After arrests in Montenegro and Germany, the Higher State Prosecutor’s Office in Podgorica filed indictments against ten people.
The charges accuse the suspects of repeated sale, transport, and mediation in the sale of narcotics—cocaine and cannabis—while a group of four suspects is also charged with organized crime.
One suspect ordered and organized the sea or air transport of large quantities of drugs—cocaine, cannabis, and hashish—to Podgorica, Germany, Bolivia, Thailand, Belgium, and the Dominican Republic, the prosecution stated.
Europol also confirmed that the group used air transport in addition to maritime routes.
Đorđević said this shows that these networks are constantly adapting their methods and seeking new smuggling channels.
The use of air transport, including couriers and general aviation, has long been a concern, but its full scale is still not completely clear, he said.
In addition to transport methods, the groups are also changing routes.
A Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime study last year showed that Western Balkan crime groups use a new cocaine trafficking route from Latin America to Europe via West African countries.
Montenegro is home to two major criminal clans, Kavac and Skaljari, which have been in conflict since 2014 after several hundred kilograms of cocaine disappeared in Valencia.
More than 70 people have been killed in their clashes so far.
Last year, Montenegro ranked tenth in Europe in the Global Organized Crime Index.
Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are also among the top ten countries.
The Global Organized Crime Index assesses the level of criminality and resilience to organized crime across 193 countries worldwide.
