In a fiery press exchange on Monday evening, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić downplayed the international criminal status of fugitive paramilitary leader Milan Radoičić, claiming the mastermind behind the Banjska attack is only being pursued by Interpol “because of Kosovo, not because of crime.”
Vučić’s controversial defense arrived as he attempted to deflect a brewing domestic scandal regarding allegations that active-duty officers from Serbia’s elite Gendarmerie (Žandarmerija) are moonlighting as private bodyguards for blacklisted northern Kosovo power-brokers Radoičić and Zvonko Veselinović.
Dismissing Interpol Red Notices as Political Persecution
When directly confronted by reporters about why state law enforcement personnel are reportedly shielding figures deeply embedded in regional criminogenic circles, Vučić claimed he had “no such data” before pivoting to reframe Radoičić’s legal status.
Radoičić remains under an active Interpol Red Notice for organizing the armed assault in Banjska that killed Kosovo Police Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku. However, Vučić categorically rejected the criminal nature of the international warrant:
President Aleksandar Vučić: “Someone is prosecuting him because of Kosovo, and not because of what you are saying. He is on a red Interpol warrant not because of crime, but because of Kosovo.”
[ The Belgrade Bodyguard Scandal Loop ]
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[ Allegation: Active Gendarmerie Officers Protecting Blacklisted Figures ]
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[Milan Radoičić] [Zvonko Veselinović]
Wanted by Interpol for terrorism/murder. Sanctioned by the US/UK for organized
Vučić: "Targeted purely for Kosovo." crime. Vučić: "What is he wanted for?"
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[ Executive Policy Pivot ]
Vučić bans moonlighting over "double salaries," entirely
evading the criminal backgrounds of the clients.
The Gendarmerie Moonlighting Crackdown: A Financial Deflection
Rather than addressing the severe national security implications of state elite police protecting internationally wanted militants, Vučić strategically shifted the conversation into an administrative labor dispute.
When pressed on Zvonko Veselinović—a notorious tycoon sanctioned by both the United States and the United Kingdom for transnational organized crime and weapons smuggling—Vučić snapped back at reporters, asking, “What is Veselinović even being prosecuted for?”
He then issued a strict administrative directive aimed at stopping Gendarmerie officers from working secondary security jobs, framing it strictly as an economic issue:
- No Double Dipping: Vučić declared that active-duty officers must choose between their state allegiance or the private sector. “You have a good salary in the Gendarmerie, do that job,” Vučić stated.
- The Ultimatum: He vowed to personally ensure that the Ministry of Internal Affairs halts the practice immediately. “If you don’t want to do [state service], go work for a private owner,” he added, noting that officers cannot remain in active service if they take secondary security contracts.
By treating the crisis as a simple issue of police officers looking for extra income, Vučić successfully sidestepped the deeper structural reality: that Serbia’s most elite police units are actively rubbing shoulders with, and protecting, the very paramilitaries driving regional instability.
