A leading member of the so-called Balkan Cartel was arrested in Montenegro on Tuesday as part of a joint operation that also detained 11 other suspects.
Twelve people were arrested in total, including four in Germany, after coordinated action by law enforcement in Montenegro and Germany backed by Europol, the EU police agency announced on Wednesday.
It described the person arrested in Montenegro as a “High Value Target”, a term used by Europol for a priority suspect.
The wider investigation, supported by authorities in Austria and Spain, focused on a network suspected of large-scale international trafficking of cocaine and cannabis.
The suspects, based in Montenegro and Germany, were believed to have held roles ranging from financing to coordinating and handling logistics.
Seizures linked to 2.7 tonnes of cocaine
Montenegrin judicial authorities have filed charges against a number of suspects over alleged trafficking of 2.7 tonnes of cocaine and 1.5 tonnes of cannabis between October 2024 and April 2026, Europol said.
The drugs were seized in 12 earlier operations carried out across several EU and South American countries.
The network was believed to have used both sea and air routes, including shipping containers and other concealed methods.
The same network is also suspected of smuggling cannabis to the EU from and via countries including Albania, Thailand and the United States.
About 100 police officers took part in the arrests and searches in Montenegro and Germany, with Europol providing coordination, information-sharing and analytical support.
