Dizdarević: Investigators often focus on mid-level figures instead of going after the „head“ of criminal organizations

When observing the conflict between two organized criminal groups in Montenegro, I fear that the code of honor lost its value long ago and is now interpreted only in ways that they themselves understand. Throughout the history of organized crime and criminal organizations, there has never been a recorded case of such groups defeating the state. Of course, they very often have networks and connections within various state institutions, which significantly complicates the work of investigative authorities. The fight against organized crime is like an inexhaustible river, an ongoing struggle that unfolds in different phases - Professor of Criminal Psychology and security expert Sandi Dizdarević told ETV Portal while commenting on the latest murder in Nikšić, where Jovan Mrvaljević was shot in the back of the head.

According to the police's operational intelligence, Mrvaljević was considered a high-ranking member of the Nikšić branch of the Škaljari clan. As previously reported by ETV Portal, the primary line of investigation suggests that the gunman may be found within the ranks of the Škaljari clan itself, although investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the killing is another episode in the ongoing conflict between the two rival criminal organizations.

WHEN CITIZENS BEGIN TO FEEL UNSAFE

Dizdarević stresses that the real problem begins when innocent citizens become victims of such conflicts and when people feel that public safety has deteriorated to the point where they no longer dare allow their children to walk the streets. This, he says, happens when the security system is not sufficiently agile, effective, or prepared to respond.

- For many years I have hesitated to say what I am about to say because I believe many human rights organizations would criticize me for it. Nevertheless, I will be direct: when organized criminal groups violate the human rights of citizens, and security is one of the fundamental rights that every state is obliged to guarantee, then the response must involve the most robust forms of state coercion. To be completely clear, this means arrests, manhunts, searches, deprivation of liberty, detention and questioning, and, where necessary, neutralizing individuals who pose a threat to public and national security – Dizdarević said.

He adds that it is extremely difficult to predict, and therefore prevent, murders committed within organized criminal groups. According to him, this observation is often followed by the question: why is it so difficult?

Dizdarević explains that one of the greatest challenges in policing is penetrating an organized criminal organization, recruiting an informant or cooperating witness, or placing undercover investigators inside such groups, because even the smallest mistake can prove fatal.

- When dealing with organized criminal groups, law enforcement agencies very often focus on the middle tier of the hierarchy instead of moving toward the leadership or the „management“. On the other hand, if intelligence and security agencies do not have control over the leadership of an organized criminal structure, and it is evident that they do not, then there is effectively no control at all. The first prerequisite is a coordinated and joint operation involving all security services within a country, together with cooperation with agencies from other states, since organized criminal groups have networks and connections across borders. A classic example is the series of murders and attempted murders that have occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina over the past several days – Dizdarević said.

OPERATIONAL WORK AND JOINT ACTION

According to Dizdarević, the only effective way to combat and keep organized crime under control is through proactive operational and intelligence work, coordinated with judicial authorities capable of supporting police and intelligence operations.

- Why is synchronization and coordination so essential? What is the point if the police and intelligence services successfully identify the killer, gather evidence, properly transform investigative findings into legally admissible evidence, and the prosecutor prepares and files the indictment, only for the court to impose a sentence below the statutory minimum? For courts to impose appropriate sanctions, the evidence must be collected and processed lawfully and professionally – Dizdarević said.

He further argues that individuals who violate legal and social norms while endangering the fundamental rights of citizens should not benefit from mitigating circumstances of the kind that courts frequently cite today.

Dizdarević declined to comment on whether, based on the information currently available, it is more likely that Mrvaljević was killed by members of his own group or as part of the conflict between the Kavač and Škaljari clans.

- The manner in which the crime was committed alone is not sufficient to confirm or dismiss either of the proposed scenarios. If the two versions you mentioned are indeed the ones being investigated, I believe the police have established appropriate investigative hypotheses and will continue collecting and analyzing evidence in order to confirm or eliminate individual elements, or entire versions, of the case. The modus operandi, particularly in murders committed by organized criminal groups, provides significant psychological insight into the message and signature behind the crime. However, a deviation from an established modus operandi does not necessarily mean that the group or the perpetrator did not deliberately change it. Therefore, both scenarios, as well as the possibility of an entirely new one, remain plausible and will either be confirmed or rejected as the investigation progresses. The worst-case scenario is when investigators pursue only one version of events from the outset. Such investigations too often end up among the archives of unsolved murders and other criminal offenses - Dizdarević concluded.