Mafia clan “Who are they, and what do they do?

According to information from those counties, the organised criminal group “Deshaj” in that context acts according to principles completely different from the other nine Montenegrin clans, which “accept” members almost every day.

Investigators have found that the Dresses brothers trust only those who have earned their trust over the years.

According to unofficial information from “Vijest”, this is how it is written in the latest Red and Organised Crime Risk assessment ( SOCTA 2021 ), adopted in March.

The secret part of that document contained the scheme of that clan as well as the records of which illegal businesses were involved.

“The dominant criminal objective of the organised criminal group of brothers Dresaj is smuggling marijuana and cigarettes, and recently even cocaine smuggling. The structure of that OKG is characteristic. Members are linked to strong family ties, long bilateral friendships and are linked to joint criminal experiences and financial interests. Several contacts of the Brothers Dresses have been recorded with security interests, their contacts with members of other clans, but not co-operation in criminal relations”, writes the SOCTA, co-director of “Vijest”.

Cigarettes From Botun

The same conversationist points out that in the part where the structure of the clan “Drej” is graphically presented, there are photos and personal data for all persons suspected of doing illegal work for them, including those allegedly putting money. taken from crime to legal channels.

The roles of all clan members in cigarette, marijuana, and cocaine smuggling, as well as in the document, in the section that describes the activity of that criminal group, are also mentioned as sequencing cigarettes in Botun.

At a warehouse in Botun, members of the Police Directorate and the Directorate of Revenues and Customs in July 2021 found and seized a large amount of cut tobacco and several hundred packs of cigarettes ready to be thrown into the black market.

Police later searched the home of Robert Dushevich from Tuzi, who allegedly had ties with the Dresey brothers. Dushevich's name has also been found in Montenegrin security secret files.

Marihua from Albania

Investigators have received information that the Tuzi clan has strong ties with criminals from Albania's territory and that they co-operate with them in the marijuana smuggling.

The “Marihua is smuggled mainly through Montenegro's territory towards the countries of the region and Western Europe, and a smaller portion remains within our country's borders. Despite the railing of the marijuana plantations in our country, which the Police Directorate is successfully fighting, the main source of the supply of Montenegrin criminal structures with that drug is Albania”, explains “Vijesti” co-visor.

He explains that the inter-institution team that worked on creating the SOCTA document 2021 has received data from those who, while monitoring clan members “Deshaj”, have recorded their illegal activities of fortune games.

The source of “Vijekti” states that this group has not been introduced in the conflict between the two most notorious Montenegrin clans Shkalari” and “Kavaki”, but also that they are apparently less inclined to use threats compared to those two groups.

Women in the “

In addition to those who have been in that criminal group for years and who are with Leon and Victor Dresey and family ties, investigators identified some girls and women as members of the clan, mainly of Podgorica.

Among them, states co-viser from the security sector, is Sophia Bulatovich, whose photo and data have been found in SOCTA.

This woman from Podgorica appeared in the spotlight at the end of 2018, since Leon Dresey, who was then in society, was arrested at Rotterdam.

Shortly ago, Bulatovic has conducted a stage at Montenegro's Ministry of Internal Affairs (MPB), more precisely at their Directorate for Emergency Situation.

Besides, in the “Deshaj” there are other women tied up and/or friendly with the two brothers from Tuzi.

Their “Role in criminal activity is not insignificant, but primarily refers to the distraction of the law enforcement organs or the passing of messages among members of an organised criminal group”, claims “Vijesti” co-visor from the security sector.

Who are the Dress Brothers?

Brothers Dresaj for years have been registered in Montenegrin secret police books as security-interested people, and for a long time you could read in the headlines reserved for black chronics.

Police have raided their business houses and facilities several times, and at the beginning of June 2018, the security institution officially announced that Victor Dresaj had found and confiscated 176,740 euros and 1,000 euros, two pistols and three rifles, 326 bullets in illegal possession. The money-counting machine, banking documentation and record disc.

Then, the homes of five other members of the Tuzi clan have been searched.

Victor Dresaj's name was mentioned at the hearing session at Special State Prosecutor (SDT) a year ago, by Isat Boljetevic, then president of the Board of Directors of the New Nation of Tobacco, which was questioned because of cigarettes confiscated in the rented warehouse in Karabushko Polje.

Boljevic later told prosecutors that Dresaj helped him rent space from the company “Golden Gates” because he needed space in the company to store the raw materials.

Later “Vijesti”, referring to unofficial sources from the investigation, indicated that in the investigation into alleged cigarette smuggling, police and prosecutors were trying to determine whether the tobacco from which cigarettes were produced was smuggled from Albania.

It is alleged that at that time some Tuzi residents were suspected of smuggling large quantities of tobacco into the lake, which allegedly ended up in the NDKP.

His brother, Leon Dresaj, was arrested early in March for violent conduct in the match against Deciciqi Buduchnosti, when after the conflict between fans and the general chaos in the field, he jumped onto the defence fence, ran into the field and then pushed the goalkeeper of the Podgorica team.

Early in this century, he was often arrested as part of the investigation into the murder of the owner and editor of the newspaper “Dan” Dusko Jovanovic in May 2004, but also for the investigation into the bomb attacks at the Hotel Sled” in Beciq.

He was arrested in 2006 when police searched his home and his brother, Victor, and found 20 kilos of marijuana, a small amount of heroin and money.

During 2018 it was banned several times, and at the end of the year it was also confiscated by local police at 20,000 euros and a telephone.

In the summer of 2019, because of Fran Nikolic's injury before passion “Fantasy” in June of that year began national research, and after three months he surrendered and was taken into custody in S therein.

A year later, he entered a plea agreement, accepted a year in prison for Nikolic's injuries and agreed to pay 10,000 euros for humanitarian purposes.

Even his party, after his release, did not go smoothly. On June 12, 2020, police suspended the party of Dresaj and his friends and then confiscated their weapons, phones, and cars.

Corruption targets: Police officers and customs officers

In Montenegro, smuggling tobacco products is handled by organised criminal groups that are involved in other criminal activities smuggling drugs, writes SOCTA.

The document explains that groups of close - knit people and individuals are involved in this illegal business.

“For realisation and coverage of these criminal activities are also used by corrupt criminal acts, while the target of corruption are members of the Directorate of Police and Customs, respectively, officials positioned at middle and low levels. The apparent expansion of cigarette smuggling contributes to the large price differences in tobacco products with countries in the region, as well as in relation to European Union countries”, it is written in the public part of SOCTA.