According to the INTERPOL database, there are 306 international notices issued by INTERPOL Podgorica. Around 198 refer to Montenegrin citizen, said in the interview for Pobjeda, acting Head of Division for International Operational Police Cooperation INTERPOL-Europol-Sirene, Mr Dejan Boljević.
He said that in the last three years, 23 persons had been arrested abroad on the grounds of international notices used by INTERPOL Podgorica. Twelve of them are connected to criminal groups “Škaljari” and “Kavači”.
Aleksandar Savović has been arrested recently in Spain, along with three other persons, on charges of drug smuggling. Do you have communication with Spanish authorities and do you know the identity of persons arrested?
Mr Boljević: Police Department maintains contact with competent police authorities in Spain via Division for International Operational Police Cooperation. Police Department issued international notice for Aleksandar Savović and Spanish police officers have been informed duly.
According to the data you received, how far has the proceedings against Savović and the group progressed?
Mr Boljević: According to the information our Division disposes of, Savović hasn’t been convicted yet of the crime he was charged with.
According to the records of security services, several persons have been arrested in recent years. They are said to be members of criminal groups known as “Škaljari” and “Kavači” Do you have any data on how many people belonging to organized criminal groups were arrested in 2019, in 2018 and in 2017?
Mr Boljević: INTERPOL-Europol-Sirene cooperation Division cooperates with foreign partners with the aim of locating and arresting most wanted persons, with special emphasis on the members of organized criminal groups. A great number of operational data has been exchanged, numerous meetings have been held, communication among investigators is constant and stable. As a result, some highly-ranked members of criminal groups have been arrested abroad.
Over the last three years, 23 persons have been arrested abroad, some of them were members of organized criminal groups, while others were suspected or convicted of committing criminal offences in the domain of organized crime.
Do you expect them to be extradited to Montenegro?
Mr Boljević Montenegro has submitted extradition requests and the extradition procedures are under way. Foreign competent authorities will decide if they will be extradited or not. Police Department and our Division are in charge of the extradition process.
Since 2017, how many persons has Montenegro issued notices for at international level, how many persons have been arrested abroad on the grounds of our Red Notices and how many have been arrested in our country on the grounds of international Red Notices?
Mr Boljević: Number of issued notices changes month-to-month, as new notices s are issued every day.
At the beginning of 2017, INTERPOL database had a total of 270 international notices. During 2017, another 102 were issued, whereas 101 have been suspended. This year, 39 persons have been arrested on the grounds of Notices issued by INTERPOL Podgorica, whereas 80 persons have been arrested in Montenegro on the grounds of international notices.
In 2018, 95 new international notices were issued, and 88 were suspended. Around 54 persons were arrested on the grounds of notices issued in Podgorica and 78 persons were deprived of livery on the grounds of foreign notices. During this year, 89 international notices have been issued, and 61 have been suspended. Around 40 persons have been deprived of liberty.
Do you know how many Montenegrin citizens are wanted at international level?
Mr Boljević: There are 306 international notices in INTERPOL database. Around 198 of total number have been issued for Montenegrin citizens.
Given the fact that those are international notices, I can’t provide accurate data on the wanted Montenegrin citizens owing to the fact that country that issues notice decides whether it will provide such data or not.
Do you dispose of the data on the number of Montenegrin citizens who are in the battlefields abroad? Could you draw a parallel with the countries in the surroundings?
Mr Boljević: On the basis of the operational data and other indicators Montenegrin police officers have, we draw a conclusion that degree of danger is lower than in the surrounding countries. In addition, according to the available information, Montenegro’s territory has been used for transit of foreign fighters who are subject of Interpol or Europol checks to a lesser extent.
International police cooperation and Montenegro’s participation in all projects and activities related to terrorism are given full attention, with a view to exchanging information and acting preventively in that context.
With the aim of preventing Montenegro’s citizens from taking part in battlefields abroad, Criminal Code was amended in 2015 and a new criminal offence was introduced – taking part in foreign armed operations. This criminal offence sanctions all types of taking part in, financing, inciting or assisting in armed operations abroad. This new legislative framework reduced the number of persons leaving to take part in war zones.
How much is international cooperation helpful in solving crimes?
Mr Boljević: INTERPOL-Europol-Sirene Cooperation Division is an indispensable segment of all major investigations. Thanks to efficient international cooperation, many criminal offences have been successfully solved. Since solving criminal offences often depends on the accurate evidence, such as DNA profiles and finger prints, international cooperation and automatic data processing are of paramount importance. In accordance with the Agreement signed with Europol, we are often provided with forensic support in the most complex cases of organized crime.
Division for Cooperation with INTERPOL, Europol and Sirene cooperates with foreign partners with the aim of locating and arresting the most wanted persons, with special emphasis on the members of organized criminal groups. This division has become exchange point among Asset Recovery Office (ARO) units.
