Antwerp drug mafia leader killed outside a police station in Barcelona

©Jorge Fernández Salas

A high-profile criminal wanted by Belgian authorities for large-scale cocaine smuggling through the port of Antwerp has been killed in downtown Barcelona, according to Spanish media reports. The killing took place in broad daylight. The killer was not wearing a mask and paid no attention to security cameras or passersby on the street.

The victim is a Serbian national. The killing took place a week ago, but it took several days for the police to identify the victim.

On Wednesday, June 10, the Serbian man was walking in athletic wear along the busy Calle Balmes in the heart of Barcelona, where he had just left the gym. He did not know that someone was waiting for him. Just in front of a police station, a man approached him, pulled out a gun, and shot him in the neck at close range. The Serbian man died on the spot, in front of dozens of passersby and people waiting in line at the police station. The shooter wore no mask or gloves and paid no attention to the security cameras in the area. After the murder, the perpetrator fled on foot toward the Sagrada Família. At a bus stop, he dumped his automatic pistol, cell phone, and bicycle helmet under a bench.

Key Figure in Antwerp Cocaine Smuggling Ring

Identifying the victim proved difficult. The Serbian man traveled through Europe using false passports, including a South American document that he used to arrange his stay in a suburb of Barcelona. Ultimately, his fingerprints in the Interpol database brought the truth to light.

According to El Periódico, the victim is a high-ranking member of a Balkan cartel with close ties to criminal organizations in Belgium. He was wanted by Belgium via Interpol for smuggling large shipments of cocaine through the port of Antwerp. Belgian police tracked down the Serbian man after cracking an encrypted messaging app used by the criminal underworld.

Balkan Mafia at War

The Catalan police have launched a manhunt for the hitman. His photo has been shared with international police agencies.

According to investigators, this is likely a conflict between the rival Montenegrin Kavac and Skaljari clans. Spanish crime experts warn that the oversaturated European cocaine market is leading to violent competition. On June 7, a 40-year-old man from the Serbian capital of Belgrade was murdered in Barcelona in a similar manner. Six gun-related killings have already taken place this year in the Spanish region of Catalonia.

Spanish Minister of the Interior Núria Parlon said this case may be a settling of scores between organized criminal groups involved in drug trafficking. She is concerned that criminals who previously used knives are now turning to firearms for intimidation. She is therefore pushing for a change in the law to increase penalties for illegal firearm possession in Spain.

©Jorge Fernández Salas - illustrative image of the Ramblas