In addition to banners with the political slogan “Serbia wins”, Montenegrin police seized a remote communication device and a marine radio from the group from Serbia, consisting of 87 men. Two buses with Serbian license plates were also seized.
“Security threat” – that’s how Montenegrin police described the group of around 90 men from Serbia, who were banned from entering the country on June 3. While authorities in Serbia remain silent, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has identified among them supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, as well as people accused of attacking anti-government protesters, using facial recognition technology. Their photos have been published by Montenegrin police. They were expelled from Tivat airport after arriving on a charter flight from Belgrade on the eve of the European Union and Western Balkans summit being held in the coastal city. According to reports, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is also expected to arrive in Tivat, along with other senior officials from European countries and the region.
But Serbia’s Security and Intelligence Agency, BIA, announced on Wednesday that it had “officially” advised Serbian President Vučić not to travel to Montenegro, due to “hostile actions by foreign services and criminal clans” in Montenegro. The BIA said that, according to its operational information, the leader of the Kavač clan, Radoje Zvicer, is in Montenegro.
Otherwise, Montenegrin media have described the group from Serbia as “informal security for Vučić.” This has not been officially confirmed by the Montenegrin Police, but the expelled men – in addition to publishing their photographs – have described them as “persons of interest for security”, saying that they “have participated in numerous public gatherings with a high security risk”. The police added that some of them “have been identified for criminal offenses and misdemeanors with elements of violence”. Authorities in Serbia have not responded to Radio Free Europe’s questions about the expelled men and their possible role in Montenegro. As of the publication of this text, neither the Serbian Presidency, nor the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Security and Information Agency have responded.
From the group coming from Serbia, Montenegrin police also seized a large banner with the inscription: “Serbia wins.” This slogan is used by Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party at its rallies. The SNS did not respond to Radio Free Europe’s questions about whether there were any of its members or supporters among the expelled men.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has identified some of the expelled Serbian citizens based on photographs provided by the Montenegrin Police. Among them is Nemanja Naraçi, one of the accused in the attack on anti-government protesters in Novi Sad, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has determined with the help of facial recognition technology. Naraçi and three other suspects are on trial for violent behavior at the High Court in Novi Sad, after they hit a citizen with a car and then beat him and another citizen of Novi Sad on December 13, 2024, during a protest near the Futoška market in the city. The detention order against them was lifted in April 2025. The court then imposed a house arrest order on Naraçi, without electronic monitoring. According to the court’s decision, these measures could last three months.
In the photographs of the Montenegrin Police, REL has found that Aleksandar Jankovic, known as “Aca Hari”, is also present. The photograph shows Jankovic in the tent camp in Belgrade, where supporters of the government gather, known as “Qacilend”. The non-governmental group “Most ostaje” published a video in September 2025 in which, as it said, he is seen attacking activists who were removing a banner with the middle finger in Belgrade. These banners were placed in response to protests and anti-government messages. In a post on Instagram, “Most ostaje” said that “Aca Hari” was responsible for guarding the banner with the red middle finger and that, during the attack on the two activists, one of them had his phone damaged.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has also identified Nenad Jacimovski in photographs released by the Montenegrin Police. Journalist and activist Ivan Bjelic has named Jacimovski as one of the attackers on the day of local elections on March 29, when he and journalist Lazar Dinić were beaten in a village near Bor, eastern Serbia. After the attack, Bjelic wrote on the social network X that Jacimovski was the owner of the car in which the masked attackers were. He also said that Jacimovski was responsible for the destruction of his journalistic equipment during the incident. According to Bjelic, the authorities did not react to this attack. Ognjen Ristivojević is also in the photographs released by the Montenegrin Police.
Students leading the anti-government protests have named Ristivojevic as one of the people who, in February of this year, provoked and attacked their representatives during conversations with citizens at a stand in a village near Arandjelovci. Slavisa Kamenovic, known by the nickname “Kameni”, was also on the plane, whose passengers were deported from Montenegro. Kamenovic, according to images that can be found on social networks, previously stayed in “Qacilend”. As REL has established, Kamenovic is employed at the public municipal enterprise in Obrenovci, near Belgrade. His brother, Željko Kamenovic, who says on social networks that he lives in Italy, was also deported from Montenegro with him. One of those deported is kickboxer Vukašin Vakirevic. Using facial recognition technology, REL identified him at a rally marking the opening of a school in Velika Drenova, near Trstenik, which was attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in January of this year. Igor Vjetrović, an employee of the Obrenovci Municipality, has also been deported from Montenegro, REL has found. According to posts on social media, he was also seen in the tent camp of government supporters in Belgrade.
After the passengers of the plane that arrived from Belgrade were stopped at Tivat airport, a list of their names appeared on social media, the authenticity of which REL could not confirm. The list also includes the names of the people in the photographs of the Montenegrin Police, whom REL has identified. The opposition MP from Serbia, Marinika Tepic, based on that list, claims that Stefan Kojovic, one of the attackers of students in Novi Sad in January 2025, when a student’s jaw was broken, was also on the flight. All the attackers in this incident were later pardoned by a decision of the President of Serbia.
WHAT DID THE POLICE SEIZE FROM THE GROUP FROM SERBIA?
In addition to banners with the political slogan “Serbia wins”, the Montenegrin police seized a long-distance communication device and a marine radio from the group from Serbia, consisting of 87 men. Two buses with Serbian license plates were also seized. It is suspected that they were intended for transporting the group within Montenegro. The deportees from Belgrade, according to Montenegrin media, arrived in Tivat on a charter flight of the Serbian national airline “Air Serbia” on June 3, in the morning hours. However, by the time of publication of this text, the company had not responded to REL about who had hired it for this charter flight.
The Montenegrin police also announced that extensive security checks are being carried out at the airport to ensure the smooth running of an important international event – the European Union and Western Balkans summit. The plane with the deported group returned to Belgrade in the afternoon. As announced, they will be banned from entering and staying in Montenegro for the foreseeable future. Without giving details, the Montenegrin services also said that they will oppose “any form of malicious action” and “attempts at destabilization”. They stressed that they are continuing their activities to uncover “the activities of criminal groups and individuals associated with them”, as well as “their connections with foreign elements, whose ultimate goal is to undermine the stability of the state” and slow down the path towards the European Union.
The authorities did not specify what malicious activity is involved, nor what connections the criminal groups have with other countries. The expulsion of Serbian citizens comes after recent tensions in Belgrade-Podgorica relations. Aleksandar Vučić, faced with criticism from some in the public that police chiefs are linked to organized crime, accused Montenegro of “importing” drug gangs into Serbia. The Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs described these statements as politically irresponsible.
WHO IS PARTICIPATING IN THE WESTERN BALKANS – EUROPEAN UNION SUMMIT?
The European Union – Western Balkans Summit will gather the leaders of the 27 EU member states and six countries in the region in Tivat on June 5. In addition to Montenegro, as the host country, the region will be represented at the summit by Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and North Macedonia. The participation, after talks with European officials, has also been confirmed by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, who had boycotted the last summit held in Brussels in December 2025. Holding this year’s summit in Montenegro has particular significance, as it is the only country in the region that currently has a credible prospect of EU membership. (RFE)