A Million Euros, Surveillance Kit and a Polygraph: What Was Found in Montenegro

On 27 September 2026, Montenegro’s Police Directorate reported a search of a flat in Budva that had been used by two Russian citizens. The items seized included cash in eight currencies worth about a million euros, a large amount of IT equipment, communication devices and one polygraph. European Pravda reported this, citing the public broadcaster RTCG, and the police statement was relayed by the Montenegrin outlet Aktuelno.me.

It was the polygraph on that list that drew the most attention. Let us separate what is known for certain from what is guesswork.

What has been established

The police identify the suspects by initials only: A. K., aged 31, and A. K., aged 42. According to Montenegrin media, they also hold Israeli passports.

• On 23 September they were detained at the Tivat Airport border crossing before a flight to Tel Aviv. They had 19 pieces of luggage, 26,210 euros, 1,150 Israeli shekels, undeclared electronics and medicines with them.
• On 25 September the flat in Budva was searched under an order of the Basic Court in Kotor. Money in eight currencies was found there: euros, Russian roubles, Serbian dinars, Israeli shekels, Turkish lira, UAE dirhams, US dollars and Kyrgyz som. In total, roughly 1 million euros. The police believe a further 1,120 euros are probably counterfeit. Everything seized has been sent for forensic examination.
• A judge in Kotor ordered both to be held in custody for 30 days because of the risk of flight. According to the newspaper Vijesti, as relayed by LIGA.net and RTNK, both exercised their right to remain silent during questioning.

Vijesti also describes the equipment in more detail: a GPS tracker with a microphone, a radio signal detector, surveillance cameras, storage drives and computer components. The official police statement contains no such list; it refers to IT equipment and communication devices.

What they are suspected of

Smuggling and money laundering. At the time of the reports there was no suspicion of espionage, although Montenegro’s National Security Agency and foreign partners have joined the investigation. The word “spy” in the headlines is the journalists’ assessment, not the investigators’ legal classification.

Both are only suspects. Whether they are guilty is for a court to decide.

The police have not explained why there was a polygraph in the flat. Nor is it known what model it is, whether the device works or whether anyone ever used it at all.

What a polygraph is as an object

A modern polygraph is a small sensor unit that connects to a laptop. It records breathing, cardiovascular activity and skin conductance. The whole kit fits into a laptop bag.

It is neither prohibited nor secret equipment. Government bodies are not the only buyers of polygraphs. They are used by:

• private polygraph examiners who work for individuals and companies;
• corporate security departments, for screening candidates and for internal investigations;
• closed groups, criminal ones among them, to check their own members, couriers or people with access to money.

So the mere fact that the device was lying in the flat proves nothing. It points neither to the owner’s profession, nor to intent, nor to a crime. It could be a working tool, goods for resale or an item that was never even unpacked. The answer will come from the investigation, not from a headline.

A practitioner’s comment

In 14 years of work I have seen more than once how people buy a polygraph and expect the device itself to show who is lying. It will not. A polygraph records physiological reactions, not lies. The conclusion is drawn by a person, on the basis of a proven technique, properly worded questions and a pre-test interview.

The 85–89% accuracy cited in the American Polygraph Association’s meta-analysis (2011) applies specifically to validated techniques in the hands of a trained specialist. The same device in the hands of someone without training produces a set of traces that can be read any way you like. The most common mistake in that case is taking ordinary nervousness for a sign of deception.

What this means for you

If you are offered a test “at our own office” because someone has bought a device, ask a few questions before you agree.

• Who conducts the test. Where the person trained, how many examinations they have conducted and which technique they use.
• Whether there is written consent. In Ukraine a test is possible only voluntarily and with written consent. There is no separate law on the polygraph, and a private company cannot dismiss you for refusing. More in our article on polygraph law in Ukraine. This is not legal advice.
• Whether you know the questions in advance. In a proper examination they are discussed before recording begins. How this works is described in the article on how to pass a polygraph.
• What happens to the result. Who will see it and where the recordings will be stored.

The advice for employers is the same: buying a device is easier than training a person. If you need tests a few times a year, it is cheaper and more reliable to go to a specialist. Formats and costs are on the prices page.

Questions and answers

Is it legal to keep a polygraph at home?

In this case nobody is being charged with possessing the device; the suspicion concerns smuggling and money laundering. In Ukraine, too, a polygraph can be bought freely. The restrictions apply not to the device but to how people are tested: only with their written consent.

Can you test someone yourself if you buy a device?

Record the reactions, yes. Obtain a reliable conclusion, no. Without a technique and training, the result is no better than a guess. Besides, no method gives 100%.

Is a polygraph result evidence in court?

On its own, a polygraph examiner’s report is not evidence. A court requires a forensic psychophysiological examination, and even that is assessed by the court together with the other evidence.