An important member of the Balkan Cartel arrested in Montenegro in an international operation
In the international operation "Spectacular" aimed at dismantling the criminal organization Balkan Cartel, 14 people were arrested, including one of the leaders of this group, said the director of the Montenegrin Police Directorate, Lazar Šćepanović. Today's arrest of Balkan Cartel members happened after a months-long international operation codenamed "Spectacular", which began in October 2024 with the aim of dismantling this criminal organization [...].
TL;DR
- 14 people arrested in an international operation targeting the Balkan Cartel.
- One of the high-ranking leaders of the cartel was among those arrested.
- The operation, codenamed "Spectacular", began in October 2024.
- Searches were conducted at 11 locations in Montenegro, with 10 arrests there and 4 in Germany.
- Approximately 4.5 tons of narcotics were seized, including 2.7 tons of cocaine in Bolivia and 1.8 tons of various drugs in Belgium, Germany, and Montenegro.
- The cartel smuggled cocaine from South America to the EU and cannabis/hashish from Asia to the EU.
- The criminal network operated in Montenegro, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Thailand, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
- Police forces from Montenegro, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Spain participated, with Europol support.
- In Serbia, indictments have been filed against members of the Balkan Cartel, including groups collaborating on drug smuggling.