Montenegrin law enforcement authorities arrested a dual Russian-Israeli citizen couple on September 23 at Tivat Airport while they attempted to board a flight to Tel Aviv with 19 suitcases containing undeclared electronics, surveillance gear, and roughly one million euros in cash across eight currencies.
Tivat Airport Arrest Nets Dual Citizens and Luggage Trove
According to reports from the independent Montenegrin outlet News and investigative publication The Insider, border guards and customs officials intercepted 31-year-old Aleksandr Kruglanski and 42-year-old Aleksandra Kruglanska during baggage screening. Authorities found 26,210 euros, 1,150 Israeli shekels, medical supplies, and extensive communication devices. Seventeen of the nineteen checked bags held electronic components.
BugHunter Detectors and Espionage Hardware Seized
Police photographs from the Tivat Airport checkpoint revealed a professional radio signal detector, identified as a BugHunter Professional BH-04, alongside surveillance cameras, computer hardware, data storage media, cables, and a GPS tracker equipped with a microphone bearing Russian-language labels. Sources within News noted that portions of the seized hardware are specialized tools designed for tracking, surveillance, and espionage operations.
Following the airport stop, Montenegrin police executed a more than 12-hour search of an apartment utilized by the couple in the coastal town of Budva.
Budva Apartment Raid Uncovers Multi-Currency Millions
Inside the Budva residence, investigators uncovered cash holdings denominated in eight distinct currencies: euros, Russian rubles, Serbian dinars, Israeli shekels, Turkish liras, United Arab Emirates dirhams, United States dollars, and Kyrgyzstani soms. The total value of the recovered cash reached approximately one million euros.
Officers also seized a polygraph machine, additional communication hardware, a large volume of IT equipment, and 1,120 euros suspected of being counterfeit currency. Investigators conducted a secondary search at a property in Bar associated with the couple. All confiscated physical items and digital media are currently undergoing forensic examination by specialized technical units.
Kotor Court Orders Remand Detention on Smuggling Charges
The suspects entered Montenegro multiple times using standard tourist visas. During official questioning by authorities, both individuals exercised their right to remain silent.
Judge Špiro Pavičević of the Court of First Instance in Kotor ordered a remand detention period of up to 30 days for the pair, citing an acute flight risk. Prosecutors have formally opened an investigation targeting the two suspects on preliminary charges of smuggling and money laundering.
The Montenegrin Police Directorate is leading the probe in direct coordination with the National Security Agency (ANB) and other domestic domestic security structures. Investigators are also maintaining active communication with international intelligence partners to establish the origin of the equipment, trace the source of the multi-currency cash reserves, and determine the intended destination of the surveillance gear.