Montenegro must never again be a country in which cigarette smuggling is a state business, and criminals are protected officials, said Democratic Montenegro MP Duško Stjepović.

“An example that confirms the deep connection between the security sector and organized crime during the former regime is the fact that cigarette smuggling, one of the most lucrative businesses of criminal structures, was literally a state business. We recall that cigarette smuggling, thanks to the power structures of the time, was carried out with the assistance and protection of state institutions, while the resources of the police and security services were used to facilitate the passage of smuggling routes,” said Stjepović.

He added that the case from Kolašin, in which it is alleged that former police chief Milija Vukanić ordered his subordinates to withdraw traffic patrols from main roads to ensure the passage of smuggling trucks, is “just one in a series of examples that clearly illustrates the mechanisms of how that system functions.”

“But we all know that Milija Vukanoć did not do this because he decided to do it himself, but rather the order came from the top of the criminal octopus, which is still inciting its structures to cause incidents in order to try to compromise state authorities. Despite the claims of the police officers, official notes and concrete evidence in patrol reports, the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office in Kolašin decided to dismiss the report against Vukanić, explaining that ‘there are no elements of a criminal offense’.”

Stjepović also asks “how can the citizens of Montenegro have confidence in these parts of the judiciary and the prosecution when cases of obvious abuse of official position are being covered up.”

“How is it possible that the same structures that turned a blind eye to crime for years and allowed corrupt individuals to operate unhindered are still present today? And now that the security services have begun to purge themselves of corrupt individuals, we now have a panicked reaction from the former regime and its underground structures. Should we remind the public that the former director of the Police Administration, Slavko Stojanović, one of the key actors in such a system, pleaded guilty to complicity in cigarette smuggling? Or the fact that two police officers from Kolašin, only after his arrest, decided to speak out about the pressures and demands they were exposed to,” said Stjepović.

The Democratic MP also said that “today, when we witness the determined fight of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Police Directorate to restore citizens’ trust in institutions, the old regime is obviously bothered by any initiative that leads to a crackdown on crime.”

“Isn’t it clear that their rhetoric aims to undermine the efforts of the current authorities and try to facilitate the return of those who in the past irresponsibly undermined our security system? We responsibly state – Montenegro must never again be a state in which cigarette smuggling is a state business, and criminals are protected officials. Security institutions must be the foundations of justice and security for all citizens, and not a tool for protecting individuals who work against the interests of society. We call on all competent authorities, as well as the citizens of Montenegro, to continue to insist on truth and justice. The fight against crime and corruption is the only way to build a better and more just state,” concluded Stjepović.

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