Montenegrin media have reported that French security services have reportedly warned Montenegrin authorities about the arrival of a charter flight from Belgrade with people linked to criminal circles and the Serbian Progressive Party.
The French company VINCI, which manages the Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade, was the first to have information about this charter flight.
Through her liaison officer, she notified the French intelligence unit DGSE (Directorate General for External Security), which then alerted Montenegrin authorities, according to the Montenegrin portal Antena M.
The DGSE has alerted Podgorica after receiving information about a flight to Tivat on the eve of the European Union and Western Balkans summit, which is also attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, reports the Telegraph.
Although French authorities have not officially commented on these claims, the very fact that the DGSE is mentioned indicates the seriousness of the situation.
It is a service often called the “French CIA”, an organization tasked with collecting intelligence information abroad, combating terrorism, counterintelligence operations, and protecting French national interests around the world.
DGSE – the French answer to the CIA and MI6
The DGSE was founded during World War II and took its current form in 1982. Its role can be compared to the American CIA or the British MI6. The service is headquartered in Paris and, according to available data, employs around 7,000 people and has a budget of almost one billion euros per year.
Unlike the internal DGSI service, which operates within the territory of France, the DGSE focuses on external threats, writes nova.rs.
Its agents operate worldwide, collecting information through networks of collaborators, intercepting communications, analyzing satellite images, and carrying out covert operations in the interests of the French state.
Macron’s security a priority
The possible involvement of the DGSE in the Tivat case would not be unusual. French President Emmanuel Macron is considered one of the most protected leaders in Europe, and each of his visits abroad involves multiple security preparations.
According to Antena M, the French company Vinci, which manages Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla airport, was the first to register information about the suspicious charter flight. Through the liaison officer, the DGSE was notified and then reportedly passed the warning on to security structures in Montenegro.
Such cooperation is not unusual, as French services often exchange data with partner agencies when they assess that there is a potential risk to French officials or to international events.
Known service for covert operations
Over the decades, the DGSE has been involved in numerous controversial operations. The most famous case occurred in 1985, when its agents sank the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand to prevent protests against French nuclear tests. The operation caused an international scandal and led to the resignation of the then French defense minister.
The service was later involved in the fight against al-Qaeda, in the rescue of French hostages in Iraq and Africa, as well as in a series of anti-terrorist operations in the Middle East and the Sahel.
In recent years, it has significantly increased its activities in the field of cybersecurity, electronic surveillance, and monitoring foreign influences in European elections.
Montenegrin police and the National Security Agency have announced that they have increased controls at Tivat Airport and have carried out detailed checks on passengers who arrived on a charter flight from Belgrade. Out of a total of 87 Serbian citizens, several persons considered to be of security interest were denied entry to Montenegro.
Although there is currently no official confirmation that it was the DGSE that initiated the action, the fact that the summit was held in the presence of Macron and other senior European officials makes it plausible that French services were involved in assessing security risks. /Telegraph/