"Montenegro got millions from drug boss"

Suspected drug smuggling kingpin Darko Saric gave one million euros out of each cocaine shipment to several top state officials in Montenegro. This is according to an article in Belgrade daily Blic this Thursday, which alleges that the Montenegrin-born fugitive who holds Serbian passport faced only one condition: that the drugs should not enter Montenegro, or be sold there. "Montenegro got millions from drug boss" The daily quotes investigation data from Operation Balkan Warrior as the course of its allegations. The article also says that there was an agreement with Saric that none of the ships carrying cocaine could dock in Montenegrin ports. Saric and his gang are suspected of attempting to smuggle 2.7 tons of cocaine from South America last year. The shipment was intercepted in the joint operation launched by police and intelligence agencies from Serbia, Europe, and the U.S. According to the Blic article, Saric was shipping his cocaine to Mediterranean ports in Greece and Spain. "In return, he was provided with logistics for smuggling the drugs from South America to Europe, undisturbed money laundering through Montenegrin banks, transfers via offshore companies as well as ties with the political leadership". “For each smuggled cocaine shipment Saric paid one million euros in cash to Montenegro,“ says the daily's source close to the investigation. The source explained that persons who had received the money were "the second tier" from the top in the hierarchy of this criminal group. “There have been serious conflicts between Saric and certain representatives of Montenegrin authorities last summer, which were smoothed out after an arrest warrant was issued for him at the request of the Serbian Special Prosecution for Organized Crime. Saric has been given refuge in this country, under orders of a person who is at the top of the group's pyramid. This person, who still hasn't been included in the investigation, had the entire business under his control but also all the mutual connections of the persons below him,“ says the daily's source. The source also stated that this person, whose accounts abroad Saric used to launder the money from the sale of the narcotics, also received a piece of the profit – "much bigger than the one which had been given to the state of Montenegro".

"Montenegro got millions from drug boss"

The daily quotes investigation data from Operation Balkan Warrior as the course of its allegations.

The article also says that there was an agreement with Šarić that none of the ships carrying cocaine could dock in Montenegrin ports.

Šarić and his gang are suspected of attempting to smuggle 2.7 tons of cocaine from South America last year. The shipment was intercepted in the joint operation launched by police and intelligence agencies from Serbia, Europe, and the U.S.

According to the Blic article, Šarić was shipping his cocaine to Mediterranean ports in Greece and Spain. "In return, he was provided with logistics for smuggling the drugs from South America to Europe, undisturbed money laundering through Montenegrin banks, transfers via offshore companies as well as ties with the political leadership".

“For each smuggled cocaine shipment Šarić paid one million euros in cash to Montenegro,“ says the daily's source close to the investigation.

The source explained that persons who had received the money were "the second tier" from the top in the hierarchy of this criminal group.

“There have been serious conflicts between Šarić and certain representatives of Montenegrin authorities last summer, which were smoothed out after an arrest warrant was issued for him at the request of the Serbian Special Prosecution for Organized Crime. Šarić has been given refuge in this country, under orders of a person who is at the top of the group's pyramid. This person, who still hasn't been included in the investigation, had the entire business under his control but also all the mutual connections of the persons below him,“ says the daily's source.

The source also stated that this person, whose accounts abroad Šarić used to launder the money from the sale of the narcotics, also received a piece of the profit – "much bigger than the one which had been given to the state of Montenegro".