Serbian mafia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article does not cite any references or sources. (June 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

The Serbian Mafia, Serbian Organized Crime (OC), also called Naša Stvar (= "Cosa Nostra") are general terms used for various criminal organizations based in Serbia or composed of ethnic-Serbs. Serbian criminals are active in the European Union (EU) countries. The Serbian mafia is primarily involved in smuggling, arms trade, drug trafficking, protection racket, gambling, bodyguarding and contract killing.

Contents

[edit] In Serbia

The Mafia in Serbia is composed of 3 major groups, the Vozdovac, Surcin and Zemun clan.

During the period starting with the Yugoslav wars and ending with the death of the Prime Minister of Serbia, connections between the mafia and the government were obvious and even exposed, corruption was rampant in most branches of the government, from border patrols to law-enforcement agencies. After Slobodan Milošević was ousted, organized crime in Serbia went underground and into hiding. But soon a bloody feud emerged amongst different clans. The feud grew into an open war in which many of the mafia bosses lost their lives. In 2003, shortly after Đinđić's assassination, the government set in motion a major anti-mafia operation - "Operation Sablja" (English: Sabre), which led to many arrests, eliminations and emigration of mafia members.

[edit] Belgrade

[edit] Leading members

The leading Serbian criminals of Belgrade at that time were interviewed in the documentary "Vidimo se u čitulji" (English: "The Crime That Changed Serbia"). Some of those were:

[edit] Murder cases

Murders committed by the Serbian mafia:

  • Aleksandar Knežević "Knele", the youngest "star" of the Serbian mafia at the time. Had strong connections with the authorities. Murdered on October 28, 1992 in the room at the "Hyatt" hotel in Belgrade where he was residing.
  • Georg Stanković "Žorž", one of the infamous mob bosses of the older generation. Murdered on October 1, 1993 by a sole hitman.
  • Mihajlo Divac, leader of the Novi Beograd gang at time, who had previously survived a few other murder attempts. Gunned down in the hall of Hotel "Putnik", Belgrade in 1995.
  • Božidar Stanković "Batica", Georg Stanković's son, murdered on June 23, 1996 by a sole hitman.
  • Zoran Dimitrov "Žuća", one of the Voždovac gang members, who had priorly survived a few other murder attempts. Killed on October 6, 1996 by a sole hitman.
  • Rade Ćaldović "Ćenta", infamous Belgrade mafioso, murdered on February 14, 1997 in his car in Belgrade by two executors.
  • Radovan Stojičić "Badža", a police chief killed on 10 April 1997 in the pizza parlour "Mama Mia" in Belgrade by a sole hitman.
  • Zoran Todorović "Kundak" killed on 24 October 1997.
  • Jusuf Bulić "Jusa", one of Arkan's closest men, killed in 1998.
  • Darko Ašanin, Belgrade gangster involved with drugs and killings. His uncle was Pavle Bulatović, the late defence minister. Murdered on June 30, 1998 in his cafe "Koloseum" at Dedinje by a sole hitman.
  • Zoran Šijan, the boss of the "Surčin" gang, killed on 27 November 1999.
  • Željko Ražnatović "Arkan", assassinated January 15, 2000.
  • Radoslav Trlajić "Bata Trlaja", another one of the mob bosses in Belgrade at the time and a member of the Novi Beograd gang. Famous for referring to Serbia and Belgrade in nineties as "a pond too small for so many crocodiles". Murdered on February 26, 2000 by Mile Luković of the Zemun gang.
  • Zoran Davidović "Ćanda", murdered while returning from the funeral of Branislav Lainović on March 23, 2000 by two hitmen.
  • Zoran Uskoković "Skole", Belgrade businessman, murdered on April 27, 2000 by the members of the Zemun clan.
  • The deputy chief of the State Intelligence Service in Belgrade (retired) Momir Gavrilović, killed by Milorad Ulemek "Legija" and the Zemun clan in order to damage Zoran Đinđić's administration by convincing the public that he was killed for delivering "evidence" of government ties with the criminals. Sretko Kalinić's (number one hitman of the Zemun clan) DNA was found on the murder spot.
  • Zoran Đinđić who had made many enemies because of his pro-Western stance, reformist economic policies and because he had ordered the arrest of Slobodan Milošević and relinquished him to theICTY. He had also set out to clamp down on the organized crime. The murder was allegedly organised by "Legija" and Dušan Spasojević. Legija is an ex-commander of the special police units founded by Milošević's secret service during the 1990s, and Spasojević was the leader of the Zemun clan, which used to be the most powerful criminal organisation in Serbia. Zvezdan Jovanović was asked to carry out the assassination.

[edit] Novi Sad

  • Branislav Lainović "Dugi", businessman from Novi Sad, murdered in Belgrade on March 21, 2000 by Miloš Simović of the Zemun gang.

[edit] In Sweden

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

In Swedish: Jugoslaviska maffian, Serbiska maffian, Juggemaffian.

The Serbian mafia in Sweden was said to be the top criminal organisation but has declined since the deaths of several leading figures. A war was fought over the control of narcotics, cigarettes and restaurants between the leaders which resulted in Jokso and Ratko Djokic's deaths.

Some people connected to the Serbian mafia in Sweden:

  • Ratko Đokić "The Godfather", arms dealer, cigarette smuggler, murdered May 5, 2003 by Serbian hitmen hired by Rade Kotur, another known Serbian criminal.
  • Dragan Joksović "Jokso", notorious gambler, assumed cigarette smuggler, was murdered February 4, 1998 in Solvalla, Stockholm by a Finnish hitman hired by "Kova". He was a close friend of Arkan and is said to have helped Arkan on many occasions. Arkan and many other known mafia figures attended his funeral. "Kova" was later killed in front of 60 guests at the order of Arkan as a revenge.
  • Milan Ševo, declared to be the latest "Head of Serbian mafia" in Sweden and who has survived many murder attempts and even escaped from a prison. Married with Ratko Djokics daughter. Has connections with Swedish Hells Angels MC.

[edit] In Denmark

The Serbian-Danish actor Slavko Labovic, who played Radovan in the movie, was a good friend with Arkan and was arrested at one time together with his brother for illegal arms.

[edit] In Germany

In German: Serbische Mafia, Jugoslawische Mafia.

  • Ljubomir Magaš "Ljuba Zemunac" ("Ljuba from Zemun"), "The Godfather", considered as the ultimate boss of Serbian mafia at the time. Killed in front of the courthouse in Frankfurt, Germany in 1986 by Goran Vuković "Majmun" with two shots to the heart from close distance.
  • Goran Vuković "Majmun" ("Monkey"), most famous for killing Ljubomir Magaš, and who survived five murder attempts following the killing of Ljubomir Magaš before he was murdered in Belgrade city center in broad daylight in 1994.

[edit] In Austria

On October 27, 1978 Veljko Krivokapić went to the coffee shop Zur Hauptpost in Vienna for a secret meeting with Ljubomir Magaš (from whose gang he had split). Magaš and another Yugoslav, Rade Caldović grabbed him and fractured his skull with a bottle.

Involved with Corsican gangsters in late 1960s.

[edit] In Netherlands

In 2000, a killing of a member of a Serbian gang by the members of another Serbian gang shook the Amsterdam police because there had already been many unsolved cases and many immigrants of Serbian ethnicity arrested before that. In recent years the Serbian mafia has been growing strong in the Netherlands.

  • Sreten Jocić ("Joca Amsterdam") - Murderer and organizer of main drug deals

[edit] In Norway

Invasion of non-Norwegian gangs and mafias came to dominate the Norway's drug trade. In the 90s Norway saw a large influx of Serbs seeking refugee status due to the conflict in the Balkan region. Currently Serbian mafia is one of the most dominant and notorious criminal organisations in Norway.

[edit] In U.S.A.

  • The known crime group YACS: Yugoslavs, Albanians, Croats, Serbs.
  • The known crime group : Bosnian Mafia, based in Louisville Ky.
  • Bosko Radonjich: Leader of the Irish-American organized crime group "the Westies", from 1988-1992.

[edit] In Cinema

[edit] Stereotype

Serbian gangsters in movies are often tall, muscular, wearing fat gold chains and leather jackets. They have hot tempers and are cold blooded murderers.

[edit] External links

Languages