Serbia’s Police Chief Marko Kricak Arrested on Abuse‑of‑Office Charges
The head of Serbia’s criminal police was detained on accusations of meddling with a gangland murder probe, a move officials say is unrelated to the recent election.
Wow! Serbia’s top criminal‑police commander has been taken into custody.
Marko Kricak, a 42‑year‑old who has long been identified as a loyalist of former President Aleksandar Vucic, was arrested on charges of abuse of office, state media reported on Sunday.
The indictment alleges that Kricak suppressed and manipulated the investigation into the May murder of a suspected underworld figure inside a Belgrade restaurant.
He is also accused by student groups of “brutality” during police actions against peaceful anti‑Vucic demonstrations.
Student leaders have demanded the ouster of Kricak and other Vucic‑aligned officials from police and intelligence roles.
Belgrade’s chief prosecutor, Nenad Stefanovic, rejected any link between the student movement’s demands and the arrest, telling journalists that “this arrest has no link with … the result of the legislative elections.”
Nevertheless, observers note that the detention of a senior officer close to the former regime signals a gradual erosion of Vucic’s strongholds.
Kricak’s career began as a car salesman before he entered Serbia’s domestic intelligence agency, the BIA, and later became a staunch supporter of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
In July 2023, he was appointed commander of the police’s personal protection unit (JZO), a post from which prosecutors say he personally led the abduction of university students, assaulting a female student and threatening rape in a government building basement.
At the end of 2025, he rose to head the Serbian Criminal Police, the very position from which he is now being charged.
The arrest comes weeks after the opposition Student List defeated Vucic’s right‑wing populist camp in the October 25 parliamentary elections.
While officials maintain the case is unrelated to the election outcome, the development is being watched closely as a potential shift in Serbia’s power dynamics.
For now, Kricak remains in custody pending further legal proceedings.
