Australian ‘drug kingpin’ Vaso Ulic arrested in Europe

Sydney man Vaso Ulic, who was pursued by the AFP for more than a decade, was arrested in Montenegro over an alleged plot to smuggle cocaine from Colombia to Australia.

The man dubbed one of Australia’s biggest drug lords has been arrested in Montenegro over an alleged plot to smuggle almost 2.5 tonnes of cocaine.

Vaso Ulic, 65, and his son Nikola Ulic, were among 10 people arrested in the Balkans after a joint operation between authorities in Montenegro, Australia, and the United States, according to Libertas Press.

It came as criminal networks in the Western Balkans increasingly targeted the Australian drug market in recent years because of “significantly higher” profits than in European markets.

“The supply route includes Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil, with transhipment via Southern Europe and Africa to Australia,” Europol said in a statement, according to Libertas.

“If one kilogram of cocaine costs several thousand euros in the countries of origin, on the Australian black market could reach more than 100,000 euros.”

Vaso Ulic arrested previously in Montenegro in 2017 before striking a plea deal with prosecutors. Picture: Supplied

Vaso Ulic 2017 arrest picture from website Vijesti, FOTO: SAVO PRELEVIĆ

According to the local media, police searched 15 locations across Montenegro and seized 22 firearms, 15 vehicles, two vessels, luxury watches and money as part of “Operation General”.

The investigation was launched after authorities intercepted shipments of cocaine from Europe to Australia between 2020 and 2021.

It is alleged that the group planned to import 1570 kilograms from South America to Australia and Europe, which was detected by Colombian authorities, in October 2020. Another 900 kilograms was detected by Australian authorities in June 2021.

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Libertas Press reported that Ulic, who remains in custody in Montenegro, has denied any wrongdoing.

Among the group arrested was Milo Božović, the President of the Municipality of Budva, a seaside town on the Mediterranean southwest of Montenegro.

“Investigators found that the criminal networks in which they played a leading role had developed extensive logistics to facilitate drug trafficking from Europe to Australia,” Europol said in a statement.

“They were able to smuggle cocaine from countries of origin to the European and Australian end markets.”

Police mugshot of Vaso Ulic from September 2017. Picture: Supplied

Ulic’s arrest comes five years after he struck a plea bargain deal with Montenegro authorities to plead guilty in exchange for two years in prison.

His two charges and court indictment related to MDMA imports to Fremantle in WA and Port Botany in Sydney in 2007 and 2008.

Australian police once dubbed Ulic one of the country’s biggest drug lords and supplier of MDMA and cocaine to A-list celebrities.

The AFP had alleged Ulic ran one of the world’s largest drug cartels from his heavily armed fortress-like home in the mountains of Montenegro, pushing drugs about Australia since he lived on the Golden Mile of Kings Cross in the 1980s.

It took years to convince authorities in Montenegro to arrest him and when they did, the AFP’s organised crime commander Bruce Hill described it as the end of the road for a “kingpin”.