Novi Sad: 22-year-old arrested, 5 kilograms of marijuana, cocaine and a pistol seized

Members of the Ministry of the Interior, Novi Sad Police Administration, arrested M. L., a twenty-two-year-old man from Novi Sad, on 25 May on reasonable suspicion of the offence of unauthorised production and trafficking of narcotic drugs, the ministry says. A search of the suspect’s home was carried out on the order of Belgrade’s Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office.

During the search, the Interior Ministry says, five kilograms and 410 grams of marijuana, 34.65 grams of pure cocaine, a Walther pistol with the accompanying ammunition, a digital scale for precise weighing and a large number of zip bags and packets prepared for street sale were found and temporarily seized. All of the seized items are subject to examination by the National Forensic and Technical Centre.

M. L. has been placed in custody for up to 48 hours, after which he will be brought before the competent prosecutor’s office along with a criminal complaint to give a statement. According to unofficial sources, the operation had been preceded by several months of operational surveillance, during which the Interior Ministry tracked the suspect’s movements and recorded several suspicious contacts at various locations in and around Novi Sad.

The offence of unauthorised production and trafficking of narcotic drugs under Article 246 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Serbia carries a prison sentence of three to twelve years, while aggravated forms of the offence are punishable by five to twenty years. The quantity of marijuana found on the suspect, the Interior Ministry says, indicates reasonable suspicion of organised distribution.

The Walther pistol found during the search, sources close to the investigation say, does not belong to the legally registered specimens, which carries with it reasonable suspicion of the additional offence of unlawful possession of a firearm and explosive materials under Article 348 of the Criminal Code. This offence is punishable by six months to five years in prison and, when combined with narcotic drugs, can be procedurally joined to the main case.

What does the next phase of the investigation involve?

After 48 hours in custody, the competent prosecutor’s office decides whether to propose pre-trial detention for the suspect. The pre-trial judge at the Higher Court issues a ruling within 48 hours of the suspect being brought to the court building. In cases of this kind, where there is a risk of flight or of repetition of the criminal act, the standard measure is up to thirty days of detention.

A case involving suspicion of several criminal offences, as is the case here with narcotic drugs and an illegal firearm, is as a rule procedurally joined, meaning a single indictment is filed. The Organised Crime Prosecutor’s Office has the authority to take over a case if it establishes the existence of an organised group, which is an open question in the present case.

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