Nis: three arrested, cocaine and automatic rifle seized
On the order of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Nis, three suspects were detained for drug and weapons trafficking, with 522 grams of cocaine and an automatic rifle seized.
- On the order of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Nis, three suspects were arrested for drug and weapons trafficking.
- Police seized 522 grams of cocaine and about 1.3 kilograms of marijuana.
- An automatic rifle, three pistols, a revolver and 227 rounds of ammunition were found.
- All three were detained for up to 48 hours, with a criminal complaint filed to the competent prosecutor's office.
Police in Nis have detained three suspects for the illegal trafficking of drugs and weapons. The arrests followed an order from the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Nis, and a significant quantity of narcotics and firearms was seized during the operation. According to the investigation, the suspects are B. Z. (51), M. J. (38) and M. I. (22).
In the possession of B. Z., police found 522 grams of cocaine and 244 grams of marijuana. Alongside the drugs, officers seized a precision scale, 47,000 dinars and 1,450 euros, as well as three vehicles and three motorcycles. According to the investigation, he was arrested at the moment M. I. was selling a smaller quantity of marijuana on the street. That sequence points to a connected group, but the final assessment will be made by the prosecutor’s office.
In the possession of M. J., police seized about 1.1 kilograms of marijuana, a revolver, three pistols and an automatic rifle with two magazines. In the same search, officers also recovered 227 rounds of ammunition. The combination of drugs and weaponry, including an automatic firearm, is the reason such cases routinely draw the attention of prosecutors handling more serious offences.
What exactly was seized
The total seizure includes 522 grams of cocaine and roughly 1.3 kilograms of marijuana, counting the amounts found with both main suspects. Along with the drugs, police took an automatic rifle, a revolver and three pistols, as well as 227 rounds of ammunition of various calibres. The scale, the recorded cash in dinars and euros, the vehicles and the motorcycles all serve as material evidence that, in cases like this, is linked to suspicion of organised dealing.
It is worth stressing that the seizure itself does not amount to a final finding of guilt. The prosecutor’s office has yet to establish who is responsible for what, and to what degree. Until then, all allegations remain part of the pre-trial and investigative procedure, and the suspects retain the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise. The figures on quantities and items come from the course of the investigation.
Why a case like this matters for Nis
Drug trafficking combined with automatic weapons is not an everyday occurrence, even in larger cities. When a rifle with magazines and several hundred rounds is found alongside narcotics, suspicion grows that this is more serious criminal activity rather than isolated street sales. That is precisely why the arrest order came from the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office, and not only from officers in the field.
All three suspects were detained for up to 48 hours, with a criminal complaint forwarded to the competent prosecutor’s office. That means the prosecutor will now decide whether to seek custody and how broadly to frame any charges. What happens next depends on the forensic examination of the seized drugs, weapons and other evidence.
For Nis, the case also raises the question of how much such weaponry is still circulating off the books. In your view, how much do seizures like this actually reduce the supply of drugs on the street, and how much are they simply one link in a larger chain that is hard to break?
