Barcelona has become a key location in an international conflict between two Montenegrin crime clans, the Kavac and Skaljari, with four related killings in less than a year. Police sources confirmed that four men killed or injured in the city were members of Montenegrin organised crime.
Filip Knezevic was killed on Carrer Consell de Cent, Predrag Vujosevic was shot and injured on Carrer Urgell, Millan Milic was killed in Castelldefels, and Krsto Vujic was killed on Passeig Taulat. Catalan police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, clarified that these incidents do not mean the clans are fighting for control of Barcelona. Instead, it indicates that members are hiding among the city's residents.
These clans originate from Kotor, a coastal city in Montenegro, and were once part of the same drug smuggling organisation. Their feud began in 2014 after a failed cocaine deal involving a shipment unloaded at Valencia port. Since then, members have targeted each other across Europe.
A European Conflict
Murders linked to this conflict have been recorded in Montenegro, Serbia, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Greece, Ukraine, and Turkey. Sasa Djordjevic, a senior analyst at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime, explained that the methods used are well-known, including shootings, car bombs, and meticulously planned assassinations. Djordjevic added that Balkan criminal groups have established bases in other Spanish cities, not just Barcelona.
The Mediterranean coast is attractive to organised crime due to its geography, infrastructure, tourism, and international connectivity. The recent killing of Vujic in Poblenou brings the total publicly linked homicides worldwide to over 80, according to Djordjevic. He concluded that Barcelona should be seen as another European setting in a long-running criminal conflict, not an exception.
Mossos d’Esquadra sources indicated that the four victims were in Barcelona for various reasons, including hiding from rivals, evading justice from other countries, seeking information on rivals in the Catalan capital, or conducting business for their organisations. Police consider these incidents executions, not shootouts, as attackers fired at their targets at close range.
Police Challenges and Public Safety
Investigators believe these crimes were carried out by professionals who took precautions to conceal their identities and avoid leaving forensic evidence. They also likely fled by road towards France, rather than through airports, to avoid controls. Solving these cases will be very difficult, the Mossos admitted, relying on collaboration with police forces from other countries.
Despite the recent violence, the Kavac and Skaljari are not the dominant criminal organisations in Barcelona. The Mossos d’Esquadra stated that other mafias, such as those of Albanian or Turkish origin, are more deeply rooted in the city. However, the Montenegrin conflict remains a central concern for Catalan police.
On 14 April, Vujic was killed while having a drink on a crowded terrace in Poblenou. A stray bullet intended for him also injured a woman unrelated to the conflict, a Barcelona resident. This incident, the first collateral damage, serves as a clear warning to the Mossos, highlighting that while the clans target each other, the violence occurs within the city.
