Italy charges allies of Montenegro's Djukanovic with cigarette smuggling

06/10/2008

ROME, Italy -- The anti-mafia directorate in Bari has filed charges against 14 people, including some of Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic's closest allies, for suspected cigarette smuggling, media reported on Sunday (October 5th). Djukanovic himself has not been charged due to diplomatic immunity. Branislav Micunovic, Vesselin Barovic, Miroslav Ivanisevic, Branko Vujosevic, Dusan Pesic, Stanko Subotic and Andrija Draskovic, as well as seven Italians, face charges of involvement in international smuggling activities and connections to the Montenegrin mafia and crime groups in Italy's Apulia region. (Blic, Press - 06/10/08; ANSA, RTS, Tanjug, Mondo - 05/10/08)