BOMB AFTER ARREST: UKP caught criminal clan in Belgrade restaurant of death, then brutal response followed!

A group suspected of racketeering was detained on Tuesday, February 3, in a coordinated operation carried out by the Criminal Investigations Police Directorate (UKP) and the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade.

The investigation took a new turn after the same restaurant in the Belgrade municipality of Zvezdara was the target of a bomb attack only a few hours after the police had left.

UKP operatives broke the racketeering ring by arresting A.A. (30), A.B. (22), D.T. (19) and O.DJ. (22), along with four minors. Although the key suspects were taken off the streets, an incident that followed the same evening - the detonation of an explosive device at the same location - triggered an extensive investigation into the connection between these events.

UKP inspectors attacked during arrests

The arrest operation on Tuesday turned into a physical confrontation when the suspects put up fierce resistance. During the identification process and the attempt to take them out of the restaurant, the group attacked two members of the UKP. The inspectors got injured, but the attackers were quickly overpowered and taken into custody.

Bomb as message?

Just a few hours after the UKP operation was over, a bomb was thrown at the restaurant. No one was injured in the explosion, but there was material damage. Police are currently collecting footage from surveillance cameras to determine if this attack was a case of direct retaliation for the arrest of the criminal group, or pressure on witnesses or restaurant owners who are trying to stand up to the racketeering.

Racketeering under "Vracar Clan" label

The investigation indicates that Aleksandar A. was presenting himself to restaurant owners as someone close to the "Vracar Clan". He was offering them "protection", which turned out to be racketeering. Threats followed against those who would refuse to pay the monthly racket, and it is suspected that the group is also connected with earlier cases when hospitality establishments were set on fire or had explosive devices thrown at them.

Place of arrest has dark past

The fact that members of the UKP carried out the operation in a restaurant that was in 2020 the base for planning the murder of Aleksandar Sarac attracts special attention of the investigators. According to the indictment against the group led by Nikola Vusovic and Radoje Zvicer, this is where the assassination was prepared, which was later carried out in the Usce shopping center in Belgrade. The emergence of a new group in the same area of the capital indicates an attempt to revive the methods once used by the notorious clan.

Current status of investigation

All adult suspects were detained by the police for up to 48 hours. They will be brought to the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade along with criminal complaints charging them with racketeering and assault on police officers. UKP inspectors continue their work to identify the persons who activated the bomb immediately after the arrests.

(Telegraf.rs)