Podgorica, (MINA) - The Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) submitted on Thursday an indictment to the Special Department of the Podgorica High Court against five individuals suspected of organized crime and cigarette smuggling.

The SPO announced that, following the completion of the investigation, an indictment was filed against M.M., Z.B., V.M., S.Dj. and E.K.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the indictment focuses on the activities of a criminal organization established by defendant M.M. with an unidentified individual, with the remaining defendants joining as members.

“With the aim of transferring customs-uncleared cigarettes from the Free Customs Zone of the Port of Bar, while evading customs supervision, for sale and distribution in Podgorica, Rozaje, Serbia and Kosovo”, the press release states.

The SPO stated that in the period between November 2019 and March 2021, the defendants failed to pay customs duties, excises and taxes on 42,827 packages of smuggled cigarettes, obtained illegal profits for the criminal organization, and caused damage to Montenegro in the amount of at least EUR 33.18 million.