Montenegrin police finds gang stealing cars and bringing them to Albania

PODGORICA, Feb. 20 – Montenegrin police on Tuesday broke up a crime gang that stole dozens of cars in Western Europe and smuggled them to neighboring Albania. Ten citizens of Montenegro, including two ethnic Albanians, were arrested in a police sweep last week, as well as one Serbian and one Albanian national, police spokeswoman Tamara Popovic said. The suspects include three customs officers who allegedly issued documents for the vehicles to make them appear legal, Popovic said, adding that arrest warrants had been issued for another Montenegrin and three Albanians. The suspects are accused of being part of a group that smuggled dozens of stolen luxury cars from Western Europe through Serbia and Montenegro for resale in Albania, Popovic said, without specifying a number or value of the vehicles. The suspects were arrested after police gathered evidence of how they allegedly “changed and forged serial numbers on engines and chassis” before taking the cars to Albania, Popovic said.