Arrests in Serbia over alleged plot to spark unrest on election day
Police operations in Novi Sad and Kraljevo; suspects allegedly planned to bring around 80 people to Belgrade for mass disturbances on 25 October.
Police in Serbia launched coordinated operations in several cities after authorities detained members of a criminal group suspected of planning mass disturbances on parliamentary election day, scheduled for 25 October.
The raids, including a major action in Novi Sad, were carried out in cooperation with the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade. Officers detained several people believed to belong to a group led by an alleged drug trafficker.
Investigators say the group intended to transport roughly 80 people to Belgrade on election day with the aim of sparking large-scale unrest and creating chaos across the capital's streets.
Searches and separate arrests
Authorities also conducted searches of properties and premises used by the suspects. In a separate operation ordered by the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Kraljevo, a resident of Vrnjačka Banja was arrested on suspicion of planning to take part in unrest in Belgrade on election day.
No formal charges have yet been announced publicly; prosecutors and police continue investigative steps and evidence-gathering in multiple locations.
An opinion poll carried out in Serbia, excluding Kosovo, at the end of September and the start of October shows the Student List with 44.5 percent support, while the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) list, led by former president Aleksandar Vučić, registers 42.7 percent.
Photo: press material from the event
