Montenegrin mafia


The Montenegrin mafia refers to the various criminal organizations based in Montenegro or composed of Montenegrins. There are 3700 documented organized criminals operating within Montenegro; outside of the country Montenegrin gangs are active throughout Europe-notably Serbia. The gangs tend to specialize in cigarette smuggling, narcotics and arms trafficking.

Crime syndicates

The Montenegrin police have just recently begun documenting and taking action against the many criminal gangs within Montenegro, discovering a vast network of powerful cartels and groups that play a central role in organized crime within the Balkans.

The Bar cartel

The organization are primarily involved in smuggling, arms trafficking, protection rackets and illegal gambling.
The group are organized in the horizontal manner and higher-ranked members are not necessarily coordinated by any leader. The organization has a local reputation to have connections with corrupt high-ranking men in Herceg Novi Regional Police Unit.

Montenegrin Mafia diaspora

Serbia

With a large Montenegrin community, Serbia is host to many Montenegrin criminals and gangs. Operating mainly in the capital of Belgrade and Montenegrin enclaves in southern Serbia, these groups largely deal with the smuggling of narcotics and weapons. Some of these groups are also considered a part of Serbian Mafia. The issue is part of the controversy over ethnic and linguistic identity in Montenegro.

The Belgrade faction

On September 10, 2009 Montenegrin businessman Branislav Šaranović was shot to death outside of his apartment in Belgrade. Although mainly residing in Budva, Montenegro, Branislav owned a casino in Belgrade and media links close ties of him with Milo Đukanović.