With 19 Bags and Spy Equipment: A Couple Arrested Before Their Departure to Israel

Montenegro - Afaq News - Authorities in Montenegro detained a couple holding Russian and Israeli citizenships at Tivat Airport before they boarded a flight to Tel Aviv, with 19 bags in their possession.

The police stated that searches conducted in two apartments used by the couple in the coastal cities of Budva and Bar resulted in the discovery of around one million euros in cash, along with advanced electronic equipment and medications.

The court ordered the extension of the couple's detention for a month, on suspicion of money smuggling and laundering, due to fears of their escape.

Authorities found in the luggage of Alexander Kruglyansky, 31, and Alexandra Kruglyanskaya, 42, 26,210 euros and 1,150 shekels, in addition to a large quantity of unauthorized electronic equipment.

According to the Montenegrin newspaper 'Vesti', the seized equipment included a GPS tracking device equipped with a microphone, a professional device for detecting transmitters, hidden microphones and cameras, surveillance cameras, and computer components.

The police stated that the couple's equipment and mobile phones were seized, and that the investigation is being conducted "in close cooperation with the National Security Agency and other entities in the security system and the international intelligence community."

The police clarified that the couple entered Montenegro on a tourist visa and that they had previously entered the country and stayed several times.

Authorities have not yet announced any suspicion of espionage against the couple, as the official charges against them are limited to money smuggling and laundering.

This case comes amid a series of security files related to Russia in Montenegro. In 2016, the public prosecutor accused Russia of planning a coup attempt to prevent the country from joining NATO, before all defendants were acquitted in a retrial in 2024.

Montenegro also expelled six Russian diplomats in 2022 in connection with an investigation into a spying case, while in 2024, a Russian citizen was detained at the request of the United States on suspicion of interfering in the 2020 elections.

In July, the authorities expelled three Russian citizens after finding advanced digital equipment in their possession, which they were unable to explain the source of or the purpose for using.