XVII Annual Meeting with Liaison Officers and Police Attachés
Minister of the Interior Danilo Šaranović and the Director of the Police Directorate, Lazar Šćepanović, held the XVII Annual Meeting with Liaison Officers and Police Attachés, which was jointly opened by the Ambassador of the EU to Montenegro, Johann Sattler, and the Chief Special Prosecutor, Vladimir Novović.
The meeting brought together 33 liaison officers, police attachés, representatives of international organisations and EU-funded projects, with a total of 55 participants, confirming the strong international partnership and continued support for Montenegro in combating organised crime, corruption, and all forms of transnational threats.
Minister Šaranović stated that Montenegro is currently building a security system that “makes no compromises with crime”, emphasising that European integration and the rule of law are inseparably linked to a determined fight against organised crime and corruption.
“Modern forms of crime have long erased borders between countries, which is why meaningful results can only be achieved through strong partnerships, coordination, and joint action with international allies. Montenegro demonstrates that when institutions act decisively, in a coordinated manner, and without political calculations, the state can be stronger than organised crime,” Šaranović said.
The Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro, Johann Sattler, stated: “In today’s geopolitical context, the security of the Western Balkans is inseparable from the security of the European Union as a whole. Effective police cooperation, the timely exchange of intelligence, and mutual trust between institutions are therefore crucial for Montenegro’s accession to the European Union. European integration in the field of security is built case by case, investigation by investigation, reform by reform.”
Chief Special Prosecutor Vladimir Novović highlighted that, thanks to the joint work of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office, the Special Police Department, and international partners, a large number of complex cases against senior members of organised criminal groups and high-ranking public officials have been launched since March 2022.
“The fight against organised crime never stops. Criminal organisations are flexible, adaptable, and determined to continue generating profits through drug trafficking, cigarette smuggling, money laundering, and other forms of crime. Therefore, state institutions must not stop either. On the contrary, it is necessary to further intensify cooperation, improve information-sharing, connect knowledge, experience, and resources, and continue to act in a coordinated, determined, and professional manner. Only through such an approach can we remain one step ahead of criminal structures and protect the rule of law, the security of citizens, and the integrity of our institutions,” Novović stated.
As host of the liaison officers’ conference, Director of the Police Directorate Lazar Šćepanović presented the concrete results achieved in the previous period during his opening address, assessing them as confirmation of an effective and reformed institutional response to the most complex security challenges.
“The results achieved speak for themselves — more than 90 per cent of serious crimes against life and bodily integrity have been solved; five planned assassinations have been prevented; five murders committed during the current period as a consequence of the activities of organised criminal groups have been solved; and six murders committed between 2017 and 2019 have also been solved. More than 30 leaders and members of organised criminal groups involved in the international smuggling of 19 tonnes of narcotics have been prosecuted, while over four tonnes of drugs have been seized within the territory of our country. Numerous high-ranking public officials, members of the security sector, and members of criminal structures have also been prosecuted, demonstrating that there are no longer any protected or untouchable individuals,” Šćepanović emphasised.
During the meeting, full commitment was reaffirmed to further strengthen international operational cooperation, joint investigations, intelligence-sharing, and institutional integrity, as key prerequisites for the effective fight against all forms of organised and transnational crime.