Montenegrin drug criminal group aims to enter Kosovo market

Montenegro had about 20 pharmaceutical companies that imported and distributed drugs in the country. Then came “Glosarij”, a company that now owns almost the entire market there. All the other companies are gone; it seems to be by no legal methods that this company follows.

This company, founded by controversial businessman Branislav Brano Martinovic, is now targeting Kosovo's pharmaceutical market through a multinational company, which remains unclear how it has managed to get its approval for drug distribution.

According to the “Glosarij” website, the company's current management consists of Mirjana Miyuskovic, executive director, Milos Martinovic, financial director and Goran Martinovic marketing director.

The history of this pharmaceutical company is full of scandals. The company, founded in 1992 in Cetinje, describes itself as <x0lidere in the market's supply field of human medicine, equipment and medical materials, as well as dietary and cosmetic products”.

This company in recent years has also received its “organised criminal group in the health sector” in Montenegro.

Besides companies “Glosary” and “Glosarij CD”, Martinovic owned two other pharmaceutical companies with similar names in the same address. “Glosare PH” was registered in 2013 and liquidated in 2014. The company was founded “Glosarij”, while the executive director was the son of “Glosarij” owner Milos Martinovic. Another company, “Glosarij M”, whose activity was described as being also the majority trading of pharmaceutical products, was founded by Martinovic in late 2012. Her executive director was his second son, Goran Martinovic. This company too was liquidated in 2014.

In the neighbouring state, complaints about expensive drugs are very present, while the responsible company is increasingly privileged.

Montenegro's overall pharmaceutical market in 2019 was about 200m euros, and “Glosarij” along with two of its subcompanies benefited the majority, which translates with the control of most pharmaceutical market.

It is controlled by Martinovic and if it is estimated that over 20 years his company owns the pharmaceutical market, the profit should be billions.

If this is estimated to have happened in the last 20 years, then we get to data that by a 50 percent margin has sold about one billion euros from the health system.

Martinovic's name was also linked to smuggling illegal cytostatics from Italy to Montenegro.

Expensive cytostatists were damaged after losing their effectiveness in contact with the air during repacking. At higher prices, however, they were found on Montenegro's market. According to Italian media, the money was paid by the account of a Montenegrin pharmaceutical company, whose name is not mentioned, but Martinovic had issued a statement to the Prosecutor.

The business ties of “Glosarij” and Montenegro's Clinical Centre were tied to Dr. Milan Mijovic, who, as reported by the media in Podgorica, then heads to Serbia and becomes director of the “Medigroup” from Belgrade, which extends business to Montenegro.

In October of last year Radio Free Europe reported that the company “Glosary” had recorded Fentallil, a pain reliever, German production, but later stopped importing it.

This drug was mentioned on several occasions, while it was used by drug addicts in Montenegro for years. Fenton is a pain reliever who is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and up to 100 times stronger than morphine. It's very problematic. It's lethal in a dose of just two milligrams. It was also found in the illegal market, and consumers mixed it with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine. Normally, it was described to patients with very severe, very rare diseases.

“Glosare” was expressed unaware of any abuse, while Fentajl had become the chief cause of deaths from overdoses in the US until 25 companies were imposed sanctions.

The owner of “Glosarij” had paid over 30,000 euros in 2009 to buy a residence for former Montenegrin special chief Milivoje Katniq, who was arrested in April for misuse of official office.

Just a few months after that, Katniq had sold this residence to the company “Glosary” for 96 thousand euros.

Katnitch was then Judge of the Court of Appeals.

In 2018, statements by a politician in Montenegro, Nebojsa Medojevic, were taken by Montenegro's Special Prosecution to establish cases in connection with the anti-legal operation of “Glosarij”, which has monopolise on the Montenegrin market under which it gains energy funds.

According to information, this company, otherwise called a criminal group, has found a derivative to be introduced into the Kosovo pharmaceutical market. It remains to be seen whether the Kosovo authorities will allow that, but if the laws of Kosovo are respected, then this company would not be allowed to operate.