BALKAN MAFIA MAIN IN DRUG TRADE Boxer who was arrested for smuggling 22 tons of narcotics worked for Switzerland?

Former Montenegrin boxer Goran Gogić (43), who was arrested on Sunday in Miami on suspicion of having participated in the smuggling of 22 tons of cocaine, worth over one billion euros, most likely worked for the Kavački clan and fugitive leader Radoj Zvicer. Part of this clan, which, as is suspected, procured cocaine directly from producers in Colombia, were also Serbian citizens.

This arrest only confirmed earlier findings that criminals from the Balkans are among the main links in the chain of smuggling large quantities of cocaine from South America to Europe, Kurir writes.

He faces a life sentence US prosecutors are charging Goran Gogić with three crimes for which the minimum sentence is 10 years in prison for each, or life imprisonment. In a statement, the US Attorney in Brooklyn called Gogic’s arrest and indictment “a great victory for law enforcement”, while his lawyer Lawrence Hashish, as reported by Reuters, said that the apprehension at the airport was a big surprise for them.

– He claims that he is innocent and that he came to the USA for a boxing convention in Puerto Rico – Hasish said.

Boxer Goran Gogić was arrested when he tried to board a flight to Zurich in Miami. He was previously accused by New York prosecutors of being involved in drug trafficking from May 2018 to July 2019. Drugs were seized on three commercial cargo ships in 2019, including the MCS Gayen in Philadelphia, which was a record seizure. in America of 19.8 tons of cocaine.

The indictment

– The indictment states that the members of the criminal group transported cocaine to Europe from Colombia, through American ports, using cranes and nets, thanks to which they loaded the drug, which was delivered by speedboats along the shipping routes, onto cargo ships – the American media reported.

The documents state that Gogic’s role was to oversee the shipments and coordinate with crew members, Colombian smugglers and European ports to get the cocaine to its final destination. The Justice.gov portal reported that as chief logistician he had a complicated role, which required knowledge of each ship’s crew, route and location data, as well as whether there was room to store drugs in containers that already contained other goods on board.

Career Was a promising fighter Arrested Montenegrin boxer, allegedly actively engaged in this sport from 2001 to 2012. According to the Montenegrin media, he won 21 matches and lost four, and two ended in a draw. Sources reveal that he ended his career in 2012 and was not seen in public after that. It is believed that he then got into the drug business.

By the way, as Kurir previously wrote, in the DEA action after the record seizure of white powder in Philadelphia, eight crew members of the “MSC Gajena”, which were mostly Montenegrins, were arrested. Among them was a Serbian citizen, Stefan Bojević (30), who was sentenced to five years in prison and is serving his sentence in the USA.

During the large-scale operation to arrest the ship’s crew, the RTCG revealed that the DEA also came to the name of Radoj Zvicer during the investigation. As they stated then, in the court documents from Philadelphia, his name was also mentioned in the proceedings in which one of the Montenegrin crew members admitted his guilt, on the basis of which he was convicted. According to the Montenegrin portal, the files also contain data on the attempted murder of the Swiss in Kiev.

The US prosecution’s key evidence against the boxer: – multiple witnesses-workers familiar with Gogić’s role and his coordination with crew members – electronic communications, including recordings of meetings where the drug load, seizure and losses resulting from the seizure were discussed – the drug seizure itself , including photographs of recovered narcotics – photographs of the accused at meetings with accomplices discussing narcotics trafficking

Ukraine

The seizure on the ship “MSC Gajen” took place, let’s recall, in June 2019, and in May of the following year, the leader of the Kavac clan, who is currently on the run and wanted by Montenegro, was wounded in Kiev. By the way, it is interesting that the arrested Gogić, who was arrested, allegedly worked for some time as a security guard for the famous boxers, the Klitschko brothers, who are Ukrainians.

– Gogić started his boxing career precisely thanks to the famous brothers, because he worked as their security. The famous Ukrainian boxing champions, brothers Vitaly and Wladimir Klitschko, recognized his potential, started sparring with him, and then he started boxing seriously – says the interlocutor of Kurir and adds that this Pljevljak also secured clubs and discotheques for a while.

(Courier)