In the evidentiary proceedings concerning a group charged with international cocaine smuggling, a special panel presided over by Judge Sonja Keković at the Higher Court in Podgorica reviewed letters from the Ministry of Justice and reports from the Swedish police today.

One document from the police indicates that three fishermen discovered packages of drugs floating on the lake and subsequently alerted a police patrol. A total of six packages were retrieved.

Another report from Sweden mentions that a resident out for a walk with his wife found a package on the beach. After taking it home and realizing it contained drugs, he contacted the police, who then referred him to the coast guard.

A woman recounted that children playing at the shore used a rake to pull a package of drugs from the water.

The report details that 20 packages, each weighing one kilogram, of cocaine were found floating on the lake, with a vessel that had traversed from South America linked to the incident. The ship exhibited very unusual behavior.

A police report regarding the seizure of amphetamines between the islands of Stirso and Vargo from the night of May 25-26, 2020, listed the cocaine content as 95 percent. The weights of individual packages were noted as 1.002 grams, 1.018 grams, 1.001 grams, and 1.997 grams.

This evidence was presented today by Judge Sonja Keković during the ongoing trial of defendant Milovan Burić and others accused of cocaine smuggling.

She also read the verdicts from the Gothenburg District Court and the Western Sweden District Court, which recently sentenced Michael Rasmus to six years in prison for drug trafficking.

Defense attorney Zdravko Begović argued that there is no firm connection between the defendants and the drugs found at that time.

“How can we guarantee that the drugs originated from that specific ship? We lack information regarding the search of those vessels. We only know that drugs were found floating on the lake. This is all hypothetical. I contest the evidence presented since it cannot link the drugs to the defendants. The origin of the drugs is untraceable based on this documentation. The drugs found at sea also cannot be connected to those charges against Burić,” he asserted.

Attorney Danilo Mićović noted that the documents provided by the court should be regarded as official police notes, which he believes do not equate to valid criminal evidence.

“I propose that this evidence be deemed legally invalid and removed from the case file. A perverse and illegal practice is forming in this court, using any document from abroad through Europol and Eurojust as evidence,” Mićović declared.

Lawyer Matija Bulatović commented that such documentation represents operational information rather than evidence.

Attorney Damir Lekić highlighted that while the evidentiary proceedings continue, his client Rade Vojvodić is not implicated in any way.

Defendant Burić stated that his name was not mentioned in the verdict from Sweden.

Judge Keković proceeded to review evidence pertaining to the discovery of drugs in Australia.

Lawyer Begović stated that this information stemmed from Sky Communications and questioned its admissibility as evidence.

“This is filled with absurd details and merely serves to obfuscate. It’s a fictional scenario lacking any evidence basis. Terms like ‘almost certain’ and ‘very likely’ do not constitute reliable evidence. I suggest it be struck from the case file as legally invalid,” said Begović.

Attorney Mićović added that insufficient evidence exists to pursue charges against Montenegrin citizens in Australia who are considered “very likely” involved.

“No nation, apart from Montenegro, would allow the prosecution of individuals without unequivocal evidence of wrongdoing,” he stated.

Special Prosecutor Jovan Vukotić opposed the defense’s motions to exclude evidence from the case, asserting that it was obtained legally.

Lawyer Zdravko Begović responded.

“Where is the DNA profile of the defendants? Where are the drugs? What about the seized mobile phones? Meanwhile, the court is investigating the employment of the defendants’ wives and where their children go to school—a matter irrelevant to the case,” he emphasized.

Lawyer Damir Lekić expressed concern that the selection of evidence aimed to discredit defendant Rade Vojvodić by associating him with an elementary school he attended alongside one of the accused, which he described as unreasonable and nonsensical.

The accused include Milovan D. Burić, known as Ćićo from Bar, Zoran R. Kovačević from Bar, an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Forest Service of the Regional Center South Bar, Nenad M. Novović, known as Neno, Rade D. Vojvodić from Bar, Nedeljko A. Brkan from Bar, and Zoran K. Drešić from Bar.

All defendants presented their defenses in court, denying the allegations outlined in the special prosecutor’s indictment during the trial in February.

The indictment from Special State Prosecutor Jovan Vukotić alleges that a person using PINs IMYXQ9, X1E4AE, and UM3GRZ, along with nicknames Bolivar, “GIL,” and YAKDLLS on the encrypted SKY ECC application, established and organized a criminal organization that operated from September 2020 to March 2021 across Montenegro, Serbia, Belgium, Australia, Spain, Suriname, and international waters, aiming to commit offenses related to unauthorized drug production, possession, and distribution.

The defendants—including Milovan Burić, Zoran Kovačević, Zoran Drešić, Nenad Novović, Nedeljko Brkan, and Rade Vojvodić—are charged under Article 401a, paragraph 2, in conjunction with paragraphs 1 and 6 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro for their roles in creating a criminal organization.

To implement their plan, the defendants, in conjunction with an unidentified sailor from the ship MSC JOANNA, were accused of facilitating the illegal transport of 150 kilograms of cocaine and 59 kilograms of methamphetamine from Antwerp to near Sydney, Australia, from September until December 9, 2020. Defendant Zoran Kovačević, leveraging his official capacity within the Police Administration of Montenegro, allegedly collaborated in these crimes.

Under instructions received from a person using the pin IMYXQ2020 on the SKY ECC application, defendants Zoran Drešić and Nenad Novović were tasked with engaging sailors to facilitate the narcotics transfer from Antwerp to Sydney. Zoran Kovačević and Milovan Burić were also involved in organizing the transfer of said drugs post-arrival of the MSC JOANNA, providing sailors with directions for the transfer from the ship to smaller boats. On October 20, 2020, defendants Nedeljko Brkan and Rade Vojvodić retrieved 6 kilograms of methamphetamine in Antwerp, while on October 21, 2020, they obtained 9 kilograms of cocaine, packaging them for transport.

During December 2020 and January 2021, the defendants allegedly received significant payments for these operations, with Zoran Kovačević and Milovan Burić each receiving €50,000, Zoran Drešić and Nenad Novović €104,500 each, and defendants Nedeljko Brkan and Rade Vojvodić a total of €418,000. Additionally, an unidentified sailor was compensated with €40,000. Consequently, the defendants, as co-perpetrators, are accused of violating the laws regarding unauthorized drug production, possession, and distribution as outlined in the Criminal Code of Montenegro.

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