Greek police dismantle Serbian criminal organization linked to Montenegro mafia murders

Greek police take down Serbian crime syndicate responsible for four high-profile murders in Athens and Corfu, linked to Montenegro’s drug trafficking gangs in collaboration with Europol and other European countries

Greek police have successfully dismantled a Serbian-based criminal organization responsible for four homicides in Athens and Corfu.

The operation revealed on March 1, 2024, marks a significant breakthrough in a broader investigation involving international criminal gangs from Montenegro engaged in drug trafficking globally.

The first two murders occurred in Vari, Attica, in January 2020, where four assailants fatally shot two foreign nationals in a restaurant. The second incident happened in Corfu in July 2020, where two more foreign nationals were found dead with multiple gunshot wounds.

According to the Attica Security Directorate, Lieutenant General Fotis Ntouits, all victims were Montenegrin and Serbian nationals, linked to a Montenegro-based crime syndicate, and were internationally wanted for various criminal activities.

The criminal organization split into two rival factions in 2014 following a significant cocaine loss in Spain. This split led to the victims seeking refuge in Greece since 2019 under false identities. A hostile faction, in alliance with two other powerful Western Balkan organizations, located and assassinated the victims in Greece.

Konstantia Dimoglidou, spokesperson for the Greek Police, highlighted the collaboration with Europol and authorities from Serbia, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. This partnership involved extensive digital and forensic investigations, leading to the identification and arrest of several suspects across Europe.

Eleni Stamatoukou and Milica Stojanovic from Balkan Insight report the arrest of a key Albanian suspect, Abas Rabi, involved in the murders and weapon transportation.

Greek police have identified 39 individuals linked to these crimes, with several already detained in Serbia, Montenegro, and Türkiye. The conflict between the rival Montenegrin gangs, Kavac and Skaljari, has resulted in approximately 100 deaths across Europe over the last decade.

Source: Newsroom