Minister suspects child was abducted "to be sold"

Minister suspects child was abducted "to be sold"

The minister told the Pink TV broadcaster on Wednesday that the investigation was developing with "several operative working versions" emerging, and thanked the French police for their cooperation.

Stefanovic also said it would be known "in the coming days" whether the child in question was specifically targeted or chosen randomly.

"The police showed them they should not be doing that in Serbia," the minister said of the kidnappers, and revealed they arrived in the country on March 12, spent much of that day and the followign night in Pancevo, and then headed for Belgrade on Friday, March 13, where they snatched the toddler from her mother while they were walking in the street.

Stefanovic noted that Serbia was "not a high-risk country" when it comes to abductions, but advised parents to "keep an eye on their kids, especially the small ones."

According to the minister, the three suspects, who used stolen Romanian car plates during the kidnapping, made many "illogical statements" while in custody.

The suspects were arrested after a police chase on a highway northwest of Belgrade, when the child was rescued unharmed. A Belgrade court on Monday ordered the French citizens kept in detention for one month.