The Western Balkan Mafia and its Operations: Vienna's Most Dangerous Shadow War

PeopleOther ♦ Published: April 28, 2025; 20:24 ♦ (Vindobona)

It is a hidden war that has long since left its mark in the heart of Vienna: The merciless power struggle between the Kavač and Škaljari clans, two of the most powerful drug cartels in Europe, is shaking not only their home country of Montenegro but also Austria and the rest of the world. One of Europe's most wanted criminals from these cartels has vanished into thin air. Austria is determined to track him down.

The villages of Kavač and Škaljari are located in the idyllic Bay of Kotor, in the municipality of Kotor, Montenegro, and are the origin of some of Europe's most notorious criminal syndicates. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons; Pavle cikovac, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en)