Five dozen nationals of Russia and other former Soviet states who were detained in Montenegro will be deported by Monday, a spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in the Balkan country was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying.
The detainees were reportedly accused of “violent activities” in other countries, RIA Novosti said, citing “unofficial information.” Montenegro's Vijesti news website reported the detainees were suspected of ties with Aum Shinrikyo — a Japanese doomsday cult that carried out a sarin attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995.
An embassy spokesperson said 55 people were detained, but it was not immediately clear how many of them were Russian citizens, and some of them were believed to be nationals of other former Soviet states, RIA Novosti reported.
The group was detained during raids by an organized crime police unit at two hotels in Montenegro, according to media reports.
The detainees have not been charged, but were given until Monday to leave Montenegro, a Russian Embassy spokesman said, RIA Novosti reported.
