On 15 April 2026 authorities in Montenegro, with support in Germany, carried out a large-scale operation targeting a significant cell of the Balkan Cartel.[1] The action day led to the arrest of twelve suspects, four of them in Germany, including a high-value target apprehended in Montenegro.[1] The suspects lived in Montenegro and Germany and were believed to act as financiers, coordinators and logisticians within the organisation.[1] After the sweep Montenegro’s Higher State Prosecutor’s Office filed criminal complaints against 10 people for criminal association, unauthorised drug distribution and illicit weapons trade.[2] The suspects arrested in Montenegro were to be brought before a state prosecutor within 24 hours for a decision on pre-trial detention.[2]
Montenegrin judicial authorities linked the suspects to trafficking of 2.7 tonnes of cocaine and 1.5 tonnes of cannabis between October 2024 and April 2026.[1] Those drugs had been seized in 12 separate preceding operations across several EU and South American countries.[1] Investigators said the network used maritime and air routes, including shipping containers and other clandestine methods, to move the drugs.[1] The network was also suspected of smuggling cannabis into the EU from and via Albania, Thailand and the United States.[1]
Approximately 100 police officers in Montenegro and Germany took part to execute arrests and conduct searches.[1] Authorities in Austria and Spain also supported the investigation into the large-scale cocaine-and-cannabis network.[1] Europol provided constant coordination, information exchange and continuous analytical support, plus funding for special equipment and operational needs.[1] Europol later added an embedded video with footage from the arrests to its announcement on 15 April 2026.[1]
