Montenegro: Series of mafia conflicts in ancient town of Kotor, additional police forces sent

Published: 07 June 2016

Kotor

Kotor (Photo: Lazar Grdinic, MANS)

By Igor Spaic

The security situation in Kotor, a city under the protection of UNESCO, culminated last week when unknown perpetrators in just two days shot twice at Milos Radonjic, a member of one of Kotor’s mafia clans, who was previously wounded in a shootout 10 days ago. In the last few months Kotor has been affected by numerous shootings between criminal organizations, which is why the Ministry of Internal Affairs on several occasions sent additional police forces to the city.

 

 The target of the shooting, Radonjic, was unharmed; however, now it’s clear that this situation in Kotor is a result of the miscalculation of security agencies. Despite their earlier efforts, such as sending a special unit of the police, the clash among mafia elements is still seeing no end in sight, while citizens are frightened. According to investigators, these conflicts are in connection with the cocaine business.

The newly appointed minister of internal affairs Goran Danilovic held an emergency meeting with Montenegro Police Director Slavko Stojanovic, and then in order to address the critical situation went to Kotor himself. “Police are here to guarantee safety even though it is clear that those involved in this clash have assorted weaponry,” he said, adding that he is also aware that the government is partly to blame, as authorities have been turning a blind eye to the issue “for years.”

As part of dealing with the crisis it has been announced that the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit of the police will arrive in Kotor.

The conflict between Kotor mafia groups throughout recent years has resulted in many unsolved murders - like those of Novica Saric, Dejan Djukovic, Darko Bugarin, Ivan Lopicic, and lastly, in April this year, Srdjan Vlahovic. All of them were directly or indirectly associated with the drug business.

This article was contributed by Lazar Grdinic, MANS in Montenegro