European crime ring behind 60 killings dismantled, Greece says

International cooperation triggered by a spate of gangland murders in Greece has helped to dismantle a crime ring accused of more than 60 killings across Europe over the past decade, Greek police said.

More than 39 people, mainly from Serbia and Montenegro but also from Albania and Romania, have been identified on suspicion of participating in a criminal organisation, according to court documents, and about 17 are in prison in Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey.

The ‘Kotor Clan’, set up in 2010 in Montenegro and involved in drug trafficking around the world, split into two rival groups, Kavac and Skaljari, in 2014 after a dispute over a failed drug trafficking operation in Spain.

“The war between the two groups led to at least 60 murders throughout Europe,” said Athens police head Fotios Douitsis.

Four members, from Serbia and Montenegro, arrived in Greece in 2019 looking for a hideout. They were murdered a year later by members of the rival group, Greek police said.

It was when Greece sought help from Serbia and from Europol that the European law enforcement agency established that gang members were using an app to send encrypted messages that would automatically self-destruct.

Europol and police in France, the Netherlands and Belgium mounted an operation to get access to the app, and found evidence there connected to the murders in Greece.

Douitsis praised the cooperation and exchange of information among European police authorities, singling out Serbia for its pivotal assistance.