David Banjac, also known as David Pavlović from Banja Luka, was apprehended in Podgorica under an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol for armed robbery, for which he had recently been acquitted, as confirmed by the Banja Luka media outlet ATV.

On February 25, Banjac and six associates were acquitted of the charges related to the murder of Ljubiša Mrdak and the robbery of a post office in Nikšić, which occurred on October 20, 2021.

ATV reports that Banjac is actively being pursued by the Directorate for Serious and Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) of Republika Srpska for aggravated murder, which is reportedly linked to the robbery in Nikšić.

“An international red notice was issued for the arrested individual back in 2021 for the crime of armed robbery, and a separate warrant was issued related to aggravated murder. Following his arrest, Banjac was handed over to the Directorate for Organized and Serious Crime,” stated the Banja Luka Police Department (PU).

Warrant remains despite acquittal

Banjac was involved in a group that was acquitted in Montenegro regarding a violent robbery in Nikšić, where security guard Ljubiša Mrdak lost his life, according to ATV.

The robbery occurred on October 20, 2020, with a total of 423,000 euros being stolen.

Following his arrest, Banjac will be presented to the court, which will determine the next steps in this case.

Alongside Banjac, others involved in the case include Mitar Knežević from Nikšić, Stojan Albijanić, Nemanja Miljković, Petar Zolak, Srđan Svjetlanović, and Stefan Regojević from Banja Luka, all charged with murder and post office robbery in Nikšić.

The indictment alleges that the defendants stole money meant for pension payments from the late Ljubiša Mrdak, Dragiša Dendić, and Igor Ivanović at gunpoint, as part of a prearranged plan. Masked perpetrators threatened the security guards and successfully took 423,000 euros.

Indictment details

The indictment indicates that, following a prearranged plan, defendants Miljković and Svjetlanović rented two apartments in Nikšić where they concealed themselves before and after executing the post office robbery. From an apartment on Vuka Karadžića Street, the group monitored the parking lot where the money transport vehicle, a Volkswagen Transporter with Podgorica plates, was stationed.

The indictment further states that on September 11, upon instruction from Mitar Knežević, Albijanić, along with another unidentified individual from Bosnia and Herzegovina, transported a stolen “Nissan Qashqai” into Montenegro, which had been previously taken in Derventa. This vehicle, concealed by Knežević, remained hidden until the day of the robbery. In the meantime, Petar Zolak and David Banjac entered Montenegro in a “Citroen Cactus” via the Sitnica border crossing, where they met Stefan Regojević at the ferry.

On the evening before the robbery, Zolak began surveying the robbery site and planned the escape route with co-defendants Miljković, Svjetlanović, and Banjac. According to the plan, on October 20, around nine o’clock, the accused waited for security personnel in the stolen jeep. As the cash transport van approached the back of the post office, the armed assailants exited the jeep and rushed towards the vehicle’s rear door. Upon realizing a robbery was in progress, Mrdak attempted to defend himself, but tragically, he was shot, with one bullet striking his chest.

The robbers assaulted Mrdak’s colleagues with rifle butts and used pepper spray, transferring the money to their vehicle before fleeing at high speed. Shortly thereafter, law enforcement discovered the abandoned vehicle in the Grebovice neighborhood, as detailed in the indictment.

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