Serbian police chief Vespelin Milits detained over murder cover‑up

Belgrade police chief Vespelin Milits was arrested on suspicion of assisting the perpetrator of a homicide and attempting to conceal the victim’s body. Prosecutors say Milits arranged a meeting on 12 May at a Belgrade restaurant between two rival organised‑crime leaders, during which a shoot‑out left one gangster dead. After the killing, Milits and three of his bodyguards allegedly helped the shooter dispose of the corpse and cleaned the venue, but forensic investigators later uncovered blood traces that revealed the crime.

The case has triggered strong political backlash, with opposition parties demanding the resignation of interior minister Ivica Dačić and the removal of the Serbian police chief. Milits, a former presidential security adviser and recipient of high‑level state decorations, now faces criminal charges that could lead to a major shake‑up of Serbia’s law‑enforcement leadership.