The cigarette smuggling was initially focused on Italy, with gangsters there joining forces with Montenegrin smugglers to sneak cigarettes across the Adriatic in speedboats. But, after an Italian crackdown, it has shifted in recent years to other destinations across Europe and also the Middle East. A 2019 investigation by Balkan Insight detailed how Montenegro had again become a global smuggling hub, funneling millions of counterfeit cigarettes into the European Union. The block has repeatedly complained about the volume of cigarettes entering Europe illegally through Montenegro. “Everybody talked about smuggling, but nobody did anything, including the international community,” Mr. Abazovic said, complaining about the United States’ support for Mr. Djukanovic.

Source: International New York Times August 24, 2021 16:30 UTC