An underground tunnel, measuring approximately 30 meters in length and leading to the Supreme Court’s storage facility in Podgorica, has been primarily linked to Serbian citizens, according to Montenegro’s Minister of Interior Filip Adžić.
During a press conference held on September 22, Adžić revealed that the individuals involved in the criminal activity were Veljko Marković (32 years old), Milan Marković (53 years old), Dejan Jovanović (30 years old), and Vladimir Erić (32 years old), all of whom are Serbian nationals. They received assistance from individuals in Montenegro.
Adžić even displayed photographs of these individuals to the attending journalists.
The underground tunnel, which spans 30 meters, was discovered on September 11. It connected from the basement of an apartment located in central Podgorica to the storage facility of the Supreme Court.
Upon investigation, the police found the apartment on “Njegoševa” Street in central Podgorica to be vacant. It was revealed that the apartment had been leased to individuals who had used forged documents.
The Supreme Court’s storage facility, aside from containing legal case files, including evidence of various criminal activities, also held approximately nine and a half tons of confiscated narcotics. This included around two tons of cocaine and roughly seven tons of marijuana.
Adžić mentioned that a lawsuit has been filed against two unidentified individuals.
All of the suspects had left Montenegro in small groups on September 11, the same day the looting of the storage facility was discovered. This swift departure prevented their immediate arrest.
Adžić stated, “There is a connection between this organization and an individual from the Supreme Court, as well as individuals currently in the Administration for the Enforcement of Sanctions, who are associated with one of the criminal organizations in the country”.
Many of the identified individuals have prior criminal records, both in Montenegro and in other countries. Adžić added that the authorities have leads that point directly to the culprits.
Given that these individuals are not from Montenegro, Adžić emphasized the importance of their apprehension through regional cooperation with state services.
He also noted that at least five other individuals were involved in the criminal activity, providing logistical support or other forms of assistance.
Adžić also presented a photograph of a woman connected to the case, identifying her as a Montenegrin citizen. It remains unknown whether she has left the country.
The authorities have leads that could bring to the identification of the main culprits, and further investigative actions will determine whether the individual from the Supreme Court was an active participant in the criminal organization or simply had associations with it.
Adžić clarified that he has no intention of requesting the resignation of the Supreme Court Chief, Boris Savić.
“I have information that Savić had access to the storage facility keys and was expected to be familiar with everyone who had access. Additional investigations will reveal the extent of his involvement. There is currently no evidence linking Savić to these criminal activities,” he emphasized.
