The Serbian police foiled an assassination attempt against President Aleksandar Vučić following a tip-off from Europol, Minister of Interior Aleksandar Vulin said.
Vulin said a police officer from an EU member state informed Serbian police that a criminal organization made up of citizens of several countries is looking to assassinate Serbia’s president. Upon learning the news, the information was confirmed through a multi-level verification process. The Serbian Ministry of Interior, the Serbian Security and Intelligence Agency, Europol and its partner organizations were involved, Vulin said.
He added that a comprehensive operation was then launched to uncover members of the group planning the assassination.
The threads of the case lead to neighboring Montenegro. According to Vulin, the head of the criminal organization is Radoje Zvicer, a Montenegrin national who is the leader of the Kavač mafia. An arrest warrant had previously been issued against him in Serbia. Vulin underlined: Zvicer’s name is linked to drug smuggling and trafficking and murders in Serbia and Montenegro. It is not yet known whether Zvicer himself planned the assassination, or whether there is a political motivation in the background. This will have to be clarified by the investigation, Vulin added.
At a press conference, the interior minister assured citizens that they would do their utmost to preserve the constitutional order and normal life of the people in the country, as well as the life and security of President Vučić.
The most serious assassination attempt to date
According to information, the assassination would have been carried out in the first half of February against the Serbian head of state. Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said this is the most serious assassination attempt ever planned against Vučić. The prime minister emphasized that the members of the criminal organization come from neighboring countries and even the European Union. He confirmed that Radoje Zvicer is at the head of the group, but there is also someone behind Zvicer, according to the head of government.
According to the prime minister, there will be those who try to make light of the situation or poke holes in it, but the seriousness of the situation is proved by the fact that Serbia received the information in writing from the competent authorities of the European Union.
