Years-Long Prison Sentences in Vienna Mafia Trial

Two Croatians were lured to Vienna by the group in March 2020, where they were tied up and mistreated. The aim was for the business partner of one victim to pay a ransom of one million euros, as he had accumulated a lot of black money from illegal activities.

Appeal Announced

The verdict is not final. The jury dismissed the charge of extortionate kidnapping. The two, represented by Mirsad Musliu and Alexander Philipp, received the sentence for attempted and completed serious extortion. The 50-year-old must serve time as an accessory. While the men accepted the sentence, the prosecution announced an appeal in both cases.

The 39-year-old Montenegrin and the 50-year-old Serb are attributed to the feared Montenegrin Kavač clan, which operates across Europe and is also associated with murder attempts and shady dealings in Vienna. The two, along with five other accomplices, allegedly lured two Croatians, now aged 41 and 64, to Vienna on March 14, 2020, and held them in a rented apartment at Rudolfsplatz in downtown Vienna. The men were tied up, mistreated, and threatened with death.

According to accusations, the abducted men were in mortal fear. In the apartment where the victims were lured, several people awaited them with "hand saws and pistols with silencers," according to the prosecutor. The entire room was lined with nylon foil. A scene like "from series and Italy in the 80s," as the prosecutor explained on the first day of the trial.

When the completely intimidated 64-year-old assured that he would pay at least 750,000 euros, the two men were released. Subsequently, everyone drove to Zagreb, where the handover was supposed to take place. In Zagreb, 10,000 euros were eventually handed over. The victims knew they had to stick to the deal because the chats were about "money or death," the prosecutor explained.

Strict Security Measures

After the victims - presumably out of fear - claimed to be completely unaware and denied ever being kidnapped during the trial day in June, two accomplices, who were brought from custody, also refrained from testifying at today's hearing. An investigator reported in detail on the analysis of the chats. The group of perpetrators felt relatively secure with the wiretap-proof crypto phones. It was discussed in detail who would be assigned to the kidnapping, who had which task, who would procure ski masks or balaclavas, and who should be ready when and where to ensure a quick entry into Vienna when the victims appeared there. This was not easy given the beginning Corona measures and the closed borders. Since the men also presented themselves in the chats - they took selfies, sent birthday greetings, reported border crossings - the suspects could be identified. The two now accused belong to the middle hierarchy of the criminal group.

The trial took place again under strict security measures - in addition to the judicial guard, the WEGA was also on site. There was a ban on filming and photography before and in the courtroom.

(APA/Red)

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