The Special Department for Organized Crime of the Higher Court in Belgrade today delivered and publicly announced its verdict in the case against defendants Slobodan Kostovski, Nikola Stojadinović, Nebojša Subin, and Bojan Kopitović for the illegal trafficking of more than two tons of cocaine seized in the Atlantic Ocean on August 24, 2024.
Slobodan Kostovski was sentenced to 20 years in prison, Nikola Stojadinović received a combined sentence of 18 years, Nebojša Subin was sentenced to a combined term of 14 years, while Bojan Kopitović was sentenced to seven years in prison.
The defendants were members of a branch of the Balkan Cartel.
Following the first-instance verdict, Kostovski, Stojadinović, and Subin had their detention extended.
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The four men were charged with, as members of an organized criminal group, committing the criminal offense of unauthorized production and trafficking of narcotic drugs between March 2022 and August 24, 2023.
Approximately two tons of cocaine were seized aboard a sailing yacht in international waters of the Atlantic Ocean on August 24 last year. The yacht was operated by a Ukrainian and a Czech national.
According to the prosecution, the operation was organized by Kostovski, who had escaped from prison in Brazil and is the subject of a Red Notice issued by Interpol.
During the specified period, the organized criminal group allegedly coordinated the transportation of cocaine for further distribution by securing sailing vessels, maintaining contact with drug suppliers, organizing locations for receiving and unloading the cocaine, arranging its concealment, and recruiting the crew—a Czech and a Ukrainian national.
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Source: Telegraf; Foto: Shutterstock