Drug clans in the Balkans have suffered a serious blow in recent days

Drug cartels from the former Yugoslavia and Turkey have been left without more than twelve tons of cocaine in recent days, and international investigators are also investigating several Montenegrin citizens for smuggling more than a third of that shipment.

This is what the interlocutor of the Foreign Security Service told “Vijesti”, explaining that at the beginning of this week they seized in Panama 4.5 tons of cocaine that was to be smuggled to Spain.

Precisely because of this amount, cocaine smugglers from the former Yugoslavia, including a number of Montenegrin citizens, are under the radar of international services.

“Drugs have been found in three containers on a ship in a port terminal in the Panama Canal. The final destination of all three containers, which also contained legal goods, was Spain. “The information exchanged shows that the cocaine was packed in containers in Colombia, but the possibility that it was done in Ecuador, from where the ship started sailing, is also being investigated,” the same interlocutor said.

He pointed out that the operation was carried out by agents of the National Aviation Administration of Panama, and that the operation was supervised by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

“The drugs were on an ocean liner, divided into three containers. The ship arrived from Ecuador, but was in transit through Peru, Colombia and Panama, and its final destination was Spain,” said the interlocutor of “Vijesti”.

He explained that various security services share information about those responsible for smuggling that amount of cocaine.

“Cocaine in Spain would be supplied to drug cartels from the former Yugoslavia, who cooperate with each other, but also to some other international criminal groups, which have tentacles on several continents,” the same source explains.

He recalled that in September, foreign security services on the territory of Barcelona tracked down fourteen members of drug clans from the former Yugoslavia, individuals believed to be responsible for receiving a shipment of 2.3 tons of cocaine, which was delivered at the end of September seized in the port of Cartagena.

In addition to 4.5 tons of cocaine, most likely destined for the Balkan drug cartel, agents of the National Aviation Service seized a shipment of 3.2 tons of the drug in Panamanian waters a few days ago.

Yesterday they burned four tons

Spanish and French customs and local tax authorities yesterday seized another four tons of cocaine and arrested ten suspects, including several people of Turkish nationality, including the captain of that ship, in a joint operation they have been carrying out for months. Two of the arrested are Azerbaijanis and one is Dutch.

It was explained to the News that the control of that cargo ship was carried out yesterday by the crew of the Spanish customs control operations ship, together with the French customs patrol boat, with the help of the air force.

“The very effective implementation of this action prevented the drugs from being transhipped onto smaller ships and reaching the Spanish coast. “Cocaine was found in the area between the cargo ship’s warehouses and it was quite difficult to access it from outside.” said the interlocutor of “Vijesti”.

He also explained how the cocaine was found:

“The Center for Analysis and Maritime Operations of Drug Trafficking (MAOC-N), based in Lisbon, tracked that cargo ship and the operation was carried out in coordination with the National Police and the Guardia Civil, through the Coordination Center against Terrorism and Organized Crime In addition to the shared information, the attention of investigators was drawn to the ship’s trajectory: it left Turkey, sailed through the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic coast and then to Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau without loading or unloading. all goods, and after carrying out several irregular maneuvers, aimed at the Iberian Peninsula.

That interlocutor recalled that in the same operation in late September, about 300 miles northwest of the Canary Islands, half a ton of cocaine was seized and six suspects were arrested.

1,640 kilograms of cocaine were seized

The Pacific Naval Forces of the Colombian National Navy yesterday intercepted four smugglers attempting to evade justice, transporting a significant amount of cocaine by speedboat, in a spectacular operation.

According to information from “Vijesti”, the action lasted ten hours, during which, after the chase, the Navy patrol units managed to intercept the suspects and take control of the ship.

“After intercepting the boat and conducting an initial inspection, we immediately suspected that the packages they were carrying contained cocaine,” a security source told “Vijesti”.

He points out that a detailed check revealed 55 bags containing 1,640 kilograms of pure cocaine, the street value of which was estimated at tens of millions of euros.

“The Colombian Navy is leading an intensive battle against drug cartels, which use the waters of the Pacific Ocean as major routes for drug smuggling to North America and Europe. Actions like these demonstrate Colombia’s determination to confront one of the greatest threats to security and stability in the region, but also around the world,” the interlocutor said.

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