BIJELO POLJE, Montenegro — Radoš Raičević, a 41-year-old former chemistry professor from Berane, has been sentenced to one year and eight months in prison after admitting to smuggling nearly 18 kilograms of marijuana. The verdict was delivered by the Bijelo Polje Higher Court, following his arrest at the Dračenovac border crossing on December 26, 2024.
Raičević, a suspended teacher at the “Panto Mališić” Gymnasium, was caught driving a van from Berane toward Serbia when police and customs officers discovered marijuana hidden in various parts of the vehicle. The drugs were concealed under the passenger seat, inside a backpack, and in plastic-wrapped packages hidden beneath chopped wood in the cargo area.
According to court documents, authorities seized 17,792.3 grams of hemp, packaged in 15 separate plastic-wrapped bundles, including one in a ziplock bag. The operation was conducted by officers from the Regional Border Police Center “North” and the Border Police Station in Rožaje.
The court noted that Raičević was fully aware of the illegality of his actions and acted with intent. His time spent in custody since December 26, 2024, was counted toward his sentence, which officially began on that date and included his detention up to May 19, 2025, when the first-instance verdict was pronounced.
Raičević admitted guilt during an earlier hearing with the Higher State Prosecutor’s Office, enabling prosecutors to expedite the investigation. His defense acknowledged this cooperation during the confirmation hearing in April.
A former member of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Raičević left the party in June 2020 and later joined the People’s Movement founded by Miodrag Daka Davidović.
Following his arrest, the Ministry of Education and Science suspended him from his teaching position. The ministry confirmed on January 12 that he would remain suspended pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings.
“The professor of that school, suspected of drug smuggling, has been suspended until the completion of the criminal proceedings,” stated the ministry, led by Anđela Jakšić Stojanović.
