The attempted reconciliation between Sasha Vukovic and Aleksandar Nesovic - two rival figures from the underworld - ended in real bloodshed. Despite the presence of Belgrade police chief Veselin Milic as a mediator, Vukovic shot Nesovic at least 10 times, the prosecutor's office said. Nesovic's body was found a few days later in a barrel. According to one of the initial versions of the investigators, the police chief even helped cover up the crime.
The drama unfolded last month in a luxury restaurant in one of Belgrade's prestigious districts. For many Serbs, the most worrying question is why the head of the country's largest police department is meeting with two prominent figures from the criminal underworld at all.
For Stevan Dojčinović, editor-in-chief of the investigative publication KRIK, the case itself is not that unusual. “The fact that a police chief is connected to organized crime is, unfortunately, nothing new in Serbia. We have seen this many times over the years,” he tells DV.
Different criminal groups and their interests
Stevan Dojčinović has been investigating the links between organized crime, state institutions and Serbia's ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SPS) for years. According to him, the connection goes far beyond individual cases of corruption.
“The Serbian state is deeply connected to organized crime,“ he says. “The ruling party and key figures around President Aleksandar Vucic collaborate with various criminal groups depending on political interests and circumstances.“
According to Dojcinovic, these shifting alliances have contributed to fueling Serbia's underworld wars. More than 100 people have been killed in these gang wars over the past decade, many of them in broad daylight and in public places. That's why this latest murder is not unusual.
“Different factions in the party have cultivated ties with different criminal groups, and they, as well as the political interests behind them, are now at war with each other,” says Dojcinovic.
Suspicious ties
Over the past decade, suspicions of links between Serbia's political leadership and organized crime have been reinforced by court proceedings, witness statements, encrypted Sky and WhatsApp communications, leaked audio recordings and years of investigative reporting.
According to Branko Cecen, one of Serbia's most prominent investigative journalists, the connection between the ruling Serbian Progressive Party and the criminal underworld dates back to the very beginning of Vucic's rule. "People with well-documented criminal records, such as Zvonko Veselinovic and Milan Radojcic (businessmen from northern Kosovo - ed.), suddenly became the main beneficiaries of state contracts and over the years established themselves as key partners of the authorities," he points out.
One of the most striking examples of this is the testimony of Veljko Belivuk, the alleged leader of one of the most notorious organized crime groups in Serbia, whose members are on trial for murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking crimes. According to KRIK court reports, Belivuk told prosecutors that he had decided to "tell everything" about his group's connection with President Aleksandar Vučić, then-Minister of Interior Aleksandar Vulin, Vučić's brother and other officials "who asked us for favors and now pretend not to know us".
Dojčinović refers to WhatsApp messages recovered from Belivuk's phone after his arrest in 2016, which make it clear, for example, that "Belivuk asked for approval from Nenad Vučković, a senior gendarmerie official, and he in turn referred to permission from Dijana Hrkalović, then the second-ranking official in the Ministry of Interior. She, in turn, referred to carte blanche from the "little chief" (apparently the Minister of Interior) and the "big chief" (who was apparently President Vučić), explains Dojčinović.
Another piece of evidence emerged in 2023, when KRIK published an audio recording in which Vučković was heard leading a meeting of a criminal group, discussing illegal operations and boasting that his network had “the entire police force in its hands“.
Mutual benefit
Both Dojčinović and Chečen say that the relationship between the Serbian state and organized crime is not simply a corrupt one, but a mutually beneficial arrangement: the state provides protection while the criminal groups provide services.
During the anti-government protests that have gripped Serbia for almost two years, investigative journalists have identified members of criminal gangs among the men attacking peaceful demonstrators. Organized crime figures have also long been linked to football hooligans who control stadiums and fans, helping to keep chants against Vucic to a minimum.
“But the state does not protect drug cartels just to have a few dozen men available to attack protesters,” said Dojcinovic. “The people in the state profit from this – that is their main motivation. Once this connection exists, criminal groups can be used when needed - whether on the streets or in stadiums.“
Why are there no consequences for the politicians and civil servants involved?
Despite years of investigations, court proceedings and mounting evidence, almost none of the major scandals related to organised crime in Serbia have led to a search for political accountability.
Dojčinović claims that prosecutors monitoring encrypted Sky communications to prosecute gang members miss those passages that speak of politicians or senior civil servants being involved. This leaves those at the top unscathed.
Serbian authorities reject allegations of links between the state and organized crime and insist that the government is waging an uncompromising fight against criminal groups.
The Political Cost
But the noose seems to be tightening. As anti-government protests continue unabated across Serbia and enter their 20th month, pressure on President Aleksandar Vucic is mounting.
“People are demanding the rule of law, functioning institutions and respect for basic civil rights,“ says Chechen. He believes the issue is starting to erode support for Vucic even among voters who are not part of the opposition.
On Saturday, the president announced that he would step down from office within weeks. However, a date for early elections has not yet been announced. But Vucic has never scheduled elections unless he is confident he can win them, Branko Cechen also emphasizes.
Author: Sanja Kljajic