Montenegro’s Ongoing Battle In opposition to Corruption And Clan Violence: The Arrests Of Dejan Knežević, Milorad Žižić – The Balkan

Please Follow us on Gab, Minds, Telegram, Rumble, GETTR, Truth Social, Twitter, and Facebook, Youtube 

In a bold escalation of Montenegro’s campaign against entrenched corruption and organized crime, the Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SDT) orchestrated the arrest of two high-ranking former police officials on November 28, 2025. Dejan Knežević, once the assistant director of the Police Administration responsible for combating organized crime, and Milorad Žižić, the former head of the Department for Suppression of Serious Crimes, were detained in Podgorica by members of the Special Police Unit (SPO). Both men, who had risen through the ranks to positions meant to dismantle criminal networks, now face charges of abuse of office and alleged ties to organized crime groups, marking a stark irony in their fall from grace. Their interrogations at the SDT underscore suspicions that they prioritized clan loyalties over public duty, potentially shielding smuggling operations in drugs, arms, and tobacco—activities that have long plagued the Adriatic nation’s underbelly.

This operation is emblematic of Montenegro’s intensified fight against corruption within its prosecutorial and judicial institutions, a scourge that has hindered the country’s EU accession and eroded public trust. Over the past two years, the SDT has pursued a series of high-profile indictments, targeting figures once deemed untouchable. In April 2024, former Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnić and ex-deputy police director Zoran Lazović were charged with forming a criminal organization, accused of facilitating the entry of Serbian Kavac clan members into Montenegro to orchestrate a brutal kidnapping and murder. Shortly after, Jelena Perović, director of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, was arrested for alleged abuse of office, including unauthorized data leaks and improper financial claims totaling over €13,500. Earlier probes ensnared the former Supreme Court president Vesna Medenica and ex-police directors Veselin Velić and Slavko Stojanović, revealing a web of influence-peddling and protection rackets. Prime Minister Milojko Spajić has publicly backed these efforts, hailing them as vital to restoring the rule of law, while President Jakov Milatović emphasized their role in combating systemic graft. Yet, critics from the former Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) decry the actions as politically motivated vendettas against the old regime, highlighting the delicate balance between justice and retribution in a nation still scarred by three decades of one-party dominance.

At the heart of this corruption lies the toxic interplay between state institutions and Montenegro’s infamous underworld, particularly the savage feud between the Kavac (Kavacani) and Skaljari clans. Hailing from adjacent neighborhoods in the historic coastal town of Kotor, these groups—once allies in a unified smuggling syndicate—splintered violently in 2014 over a botched cocaine shipment of 200 kilograms hidden in a Valencia apartment. What ensued was a decade-long war for dominance in the lucrative Balkan cocaine route from South America to Europe, claiming over 60 lives across Montenegro, Serbia, Greece, Austria, and beyond. Assassinations, often executed with chilling precision—using silicone masks, car bombs, or bayonets—have spilled into public spaces, from Podgorica cafes to Athens streets, turning the clans into central players in the so-called “Balkan Cartel.” The conflict’s regional tentacles have ensnared politicians, lawyers, and even bystanders, with unsolved cases comprising over 90% of mafia-style killings in the area.

Knežević’s prior 2023 arrest for allegedly creating a criminal organization tied to the Kavac clan exemplifies how these feuds infiltrated law enforcement. Prosecutors claim he and associates like Ljubo Milović provided official cover for the clan’s operations, allowing the violence to fester unchecked. Recent flare-ups, including a 2025 shooting near Kotor’s old town that felled a Skaljari member and double murders in Podgorica, have prompted emergency security summits, with leaders vowing a “war on mafia clans.” Despite progress—bolstered by EUROPOL collaborations and regional prosecutorial forums—these arrests signal that Montenegro’s path to stability remains fraught, demanding unwavering resolve to sever the bonds between corrupt officials and the clans that have terrorized its streets for far too long.