# Balkan cartel drug trafficking investigation

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/balkan-cartel-drug-trafficking-investigation
> Updated: 2026-08-23T06:15:46.000Z. Sources: 22. Developments: 2.

Uroš Milošević, a 31-year-old former Serbian footballer, was arrested in Portugal after authorities intercepted a van on the A6 highway near Estremoz containing over 1.5 tons of cocaine and two loaded military weapons. The narcotics have an estimated street value exceeding 70 million euros.

The arrest is part of a joint operation between Portuguese and Spanish law enforcement targeting the ‘Balkan cartel’. This criminal organization is believed to use the Portuguese coast as an entry point for cocaine arriving from Latin America, which is then distributed across the Iberian Peninsula and Europe. Investigators suspect Milošević was responsible for the land transport of narcotics from Portugal to Spain. 

The operation follows a recent crackdown in Spain where two other Serbian nationals were arrested and 3.7 tons of drugs were seized.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-23: Former Serbian footballer arrested in Portugal with 1.5 tons of cocaine

Former Serbian footballer Uroš Milošević was arrested in Portugal with 1.5 tons of cocaine valued at 70 million euros, as part of an international investigation into the Balkan Cartel.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/former-serbian-footballer-arrested-in-portugal-with-15-tons-of-cocaine

### 2026-08-21: Uroš Milošević arrested in Portugal with 1.5 tons of cocaine

Former Serbian footballer Uroš Milošević was arrested in Portugal with 1.5 tons of cocaine worth over 70 million euros and military weapons during a joint police operation against the Balkan cartel.

20 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uro-miloevi-arrested-in-portugal-with-15-tons-of-cocaine

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Cite as: Balkan cartel drug trafficking investigation. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/balkan-cartel-drug-trafficking-investigation