Convicted Lukavac businessman Almir Bilalić collaborated for years with a mafia member from the Kavač clan, Mileta Božović

By Avdo Avdić/Istraga.ba

Almir Bilalić, a businessman from Lukavac convicted of murder, has been in "business relations" for years with Mileta Božović, a Montenegrin mafia member who was recently arrested in Montenegro in the police operation "General" for smuggling 2.5 tons of cocaine from South America.

We remind you that Mileta Božović was arrested on July 17 this year in Montenegro and is identified as a member of the Kavač clan led by Radoje Zvicer.

The group arrested in the "General" operation was founded, according to Portal TvE, citing prosecution claims, by Vaso Ulić and Radoje Zvicer, and its members are: Petar Miranović, Nikola Ulić, Leon and Viktor Drešaj, Veselin Pavličić, Ivan Delić, Damir Mandić, Vuk Vulević, Dragan Pavličević, Radomir Dobriša, Mileta Božović, Milo Božović, Vjekoslav Lambulić, Radule Božović, Radovan Pantović, Marinko Prelević, Vukan Čoković-Matić, and other currently unidentified persons.

Lukavac businessman Almir Bilalić, known as Bili, collaborated with members of this group. According to Istraga.ba's information, Almir Bilalić and Mileta Božović, recently arrested in Montenegro, were under investigation by the BiH Prosecutor's Office, but state prosecutor Vedrana Mijović assessed that there was insufficient evidence for this duo to be involved in smuggling cocaine from South America.

Unlike the BiH Prosecutor's Office, Montenegrin prosecutors assessed that Božović, along with his associates, is involved in smuggling large quantities of cocaine and money laundering.

By monitoring Mileta Božović's phone, Montenegrin investigators determined that BiH citizen Almir Bilalić, known as Bili, frequently communicated with Božović, and that Božović met with Bilalić shortly before traveling to South America.

For example, it was recorded that on May 14, 2019, Božović called Bilalić to Belgrade. Further communication from that day confirms that Bilalić and Božović met at the Belgrade airport, after which the Montenegrin mafia member traveled to South America where he arranged the transport of cocaine to Europe and Australia.

Phone tapping revealed that Bilalić and Božović also discussed the purchase of real estate.

According to information from Montenegrin investigators, Mileta Božović and Almir Bilalić purchased gold and diamonds, which Božović then transported to South America to buy cocaine.

The valuation of gold and diamonds for this group was carried out by Hungarian citizen Levai Gyoergy, known as Ljuljke. This Hungarian packaged the gold and diamonds and sent them by mail to Spain to a person nicknamed Pepe. This is Josep Picon Garcia from Barcelona, who has been convicted several times in Spain (including for distributing child pornography).

By monitoring Mileta Božović's phone, Montenegrin investigators determined that he frequently communicated with an unknown man from the Netherlands. Investigators suspect this is a certain Marko Vrbik from Leskovac. Vrbik, as recorded by intercepting his phone calls, also frequently communicated with Almir Bilalić from Lukavac.

Another associate of Mileta Božović was Vojislav Popović, known as Voja Stomatolog. He is from Belgrade and organized burglaries in Germany, where he and his men stole jewelry. This jewelry was later transported to BiH or Serbia, and then to Spain and South America.

Montenegrin judicial authorities were assisted in the operation and arrest of Mileta Božović and others by EUROPOL, the US FBI, DEA, and the Australian Federal Police. EUROPOL assessed that the nine arrested individuals held key positions in drug trafficking organizations in the Western Balkans.

They also state that some of them are suspected members of the most notorious Montenegrin clans, while others lead their own independent criminal groups. The leader of this criminal group is allegedly responsible for several murders committed during clan wars, EUROPOL stated.

They point out that in recent years, Western Balkan criminal networks have increasingly targeted the Australian market due to high resale profits.

"If one kilogram of cocaine costs several thousand euros in the countries of origin (South America), it could reach over 100,000 euros on the Australian black market," the statement said.

Unlike the Montenegrins, the BiH Prosecutor's Office assessed that there is no evidence that the arrested Mileta Božović, in cooperation with Almir Bilalić among others, is smuggling cocaine.

The recently deceased state prosecutor Goran Salihović also maintained contact with Almir Bilalić from Lukavac. He was dismissed from the position of chief prosecutor, among other things, due to his connections with this criminal from Lukavac.

Incidentally, security agencies have linked Almir Bilalić and his brother to organized crime for years. However, due to his connections within SIPA and the BiH judiciary, Bilalić was never prosecuted. But after his business partner from Montenegro fell, the net began to tighten around Bilalić.