The National Security Service of Montenegro extradited six Russian diplomats, 30 Russian citizens with temporary residence permits and two Montenegrins
Authorities in Montenegro have launched an investigation against an unspecified number of people they accuse of espionage, a spokesman for the Special State Prosecutor’s office said.
Earlier today, the Pobjeda newspaper reported that Montenegro’s National Security Service (ANB) and the Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SDT) have extradited six Russian diplomats, 30 Russian citizens with temporary residence permits and two Montenegrins suspected of espionage.
Vukas Radondzic, a spokesman for the SDT, told Reuters that police raided several apartments looking for evidence of conspiracy and espionage.
“Following a request from the SDT and a court order, police are searching certain apartments and other premises on reasonable suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal enterprise and espionage,” he told Reuters by telephone.
Radondzic said that after the completion of the investigations “it will be determined who will be charged and arrested”.
He did not say how many suspects were brought in for questioning.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Dritan Abajovic said in a live broadcast of a cabinet meeting that an “international operation” with foreign partners and the state prosecutor’s office was underway to protect the country’s interests, but it was not expanded.
Montenegro, a member of NATO and a candidate country for joining the European Union, participates in the international sanctions against Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine. It has expelled Russian diplomats in the past.
The Russian embassy did not immediately return Reuters calls for comment.
In 2016, Montenegro accused Russian agents of involvement in a plot to bring the pro-Russian opposition to power, assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and stop the former Yugoslav republic’s integration into NATO.
Moscow has repeatedly dismissed the accusations as absurd. Montenegro joined the Western military alliance in 2017.
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