Fugitive Darko Šarić arrested, transferred to Belgrade

Fugitive Darko Šarić arrested, transferred to Belgrade

B92 has unofficially learned that Šarić was hiding in several Latin American countries, where he was "located by the Serbian BIA and then transferred to Montenegro - where he was then officially arrested."

According to this, Šarić surrendered "in order to avoid forcible arrest."

Šarić, a Montenegrin who was given Serbian citizenship in the mid-2000s, has been charged with organizing the smuggling of several tons of cocaine from South America to Europe.

Justice Minister Nikola Selaković will address a news conference at noon. Tanjug is reporting that Aleksandar Vučić will also address reporters.

"From Latin America via Montenegro"

The Belgrade High Court said on Tuesday that Darko Šarić has been arrested adhering to the decision on detention and arrest warrant issued by an investigative judge on December 9, 2009.

Šarić was transferred to the Special Detention Unit of the Belgrade District Court in the building of the Special Court, stated the release.

During the day, Šarić will be interrogated concerning the reasons for detention by the criminal pre-trial chamber of the Special Department after which the chamber would adopt a decision to remand him in detention, the court said.

Šarić was brought to Belgrade early on Monday and after the authorities identified him in the Belgrade Police Department, he was taken to the Special Court.

Šarić would be questioned in the Special Court on Monday as to his hideaway since the beginning of the proceedings until the arrest, Šarić's defender Radoslav Bačević told Tanjug.

Ahead of the interrogation of his client in the Special Court, Bačević told reporters that drug lord was brought to Belgrade "from Latin America via Montenegro."

Bacevic also said that Šarić would appear at the previously scheduled trial in the proceedings against him and his group on March 24 but his Bačević team will probably not present their arguments that day due to the complexity of the case.

Bačević confirmed that he would attend Šarić's interrogation in the Special Court concerning the detention sentence and added that the interrogation will not take more than ten minutes.

After four and a half years at large, Šarić was sentenced to detention in January 2010 when an international warrant was issued for his arrest.

Šarić is charged with organizing international drug traffic and he arrived in the focus of public attention after the confiscation of three tons of cocaine in an action organized by the Serbian Ministry of Interior and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).