Man Wanted on Interpol Red Notice Arrested in Belgrade

Vuk Vulevic, 51, who was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, was apprehended on Friday at a hospitality venue in Belgrade, Serbia's Ministry of Interior announced. Vulevic is wanted by judicial authorities in both Montenegro and Serbia.

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Vulevic's arrest in Belgrade under Montenegro's Interpol Red Notice is further proof that the era of the untouchables is over.

Authorities suspect Vulevic of producing, possessing, and trafficking illegal drugs, as well as illegally possessing weapons. During his arrest, police discovered forged identity documents issued in Kosovo, leading to an additional criminal complaint for document forgery.

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Vulevic was being sought as part of the international case 'General', one of the most complex international operations aimed at dismantling a criminal organisation suspected of smuggling more than 2.5 tonnes of cocaine from South America to Europe and Australia.

Montenegrin Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic stated that Vulevic's arrest confirmed "the era of the untouchables is over." He explained that Vulevic was sought as part of "General," a major international operation targeting a criminal organization suspected of smuggling over 2.5 tonnes of cocaine from South America to Europe and Australia.

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For years, he was considered one of the key figures of organised crime in northern Montenegro and a symbol of a time when individuals from criminal circles wielded greater influence than state institutions.

Saranovic described Vulevic not just as a fugitive, but as a "key figure of organized crime in northern Montenegro." The minister alleged that Vulevic wielded significant power, influencing police appointments and patrol movements, and facilitating cigarette smuggling routes. Saranovic criticized past state weaknesses that allowed such individuals to operate with impunity, stating, "That was not the strength of one man; it was the weakness of the state, which certain individuals deliberately maintained for years."

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That was not the strength of one man; it was the weakness of the state, which certain individuals deliberately maintained for years.