Russian-Israeli Couple Arrested in Montenegro With Surveillance Gear

A Montenegrin court has ordered the arrest of a Russian-Israeli couple, identified as Alexander and Alexandra Kruglyansky, for one month. The couple, holding passports from both Russia and Israel, was detained at Tivat Airport while attempting to fly to Tel Aviv with a significant amount of luggage. According to the Podgorica newspaper "Vijesti," the judge approved the prosecution's request for detention, citing the risk of flight. The couple faces suspicion of smuggling and money laundering.

Border and customs officials apprehended the 31-year-old Alexander and 42-year-old Alexandra during passport control. Their luggage consisted of 19 suitcases and bags containing 26,210 euros, 1,150 shekels, medication, and a large quantity of undeclared electronics. All items, including communication devices, were seized for examination.

Authorities discovered that a substantial portion of the luggage comprised equipment for surveillance, observation, and detecting listening devices. Specialists identified GPS trackers with microphones, radio signal detectors, surveillance cameras, computer components, and hard drives among the seized items. The investigation is being conducted in cooperation with the prosecutor's office, Montenegro's National Security Agency, and international intelligence agencies.

Searches conducted later in Budva and Bar uncovered approximately one million euros and additional surveillance equipment. The couple had entered Montenegro as tourists on multiple occasions. While no official espionage charges have been filed, Israeli media noted that the investigation is in its early stages and that one of the suspects previously worked in IT in Moscow. This incident follows other recent cases in Montenegro involving undeclared technical equipment found on foreign nationals. The country is considering changes to its migration policy for Russian citizens.