ZEMUN CLAN ORGANISED, CARRIED OUT DJINDJIC'S ASSASSINATION - POLICE

BELGRADE, March 23 (Hina) - A joint investigation by the Serbian Interior Ministry and the Security-Information Service (BIA) has proven beyond doubt that the "Zemun Clan", led by a former commander of the so-called Red Berets, Milorad Lukovic Legija, Dusan Spasojevic a.k.a. Siptar and Mile Lukovic "Godfather" organised and carried out the assassination of Serbian Premier Zoran Djindjic, the Serbian Interior Ministry stated on Sunday. #L# According to police and intelligence data from some dozen countries, the Zemun Clan is one of the largest organised criminal groups of "cocaine and heroin dealers", whose deals, "which sometimes measured in tonnes" had made its members the most powerful people in the country and the richest people in Europe. "The wealth of the clan's chiefs is estimated at hundreds of millions of euros, considering that by selling drugs they earned millions of German marks daily," the ministry says in a statement, adding that members of the clan owned houses "with areas of several thousand square metres and motor fleets worth several million euros". They held their "business meetings" in Paris, Monte Carlo, Athens, Singapore, Hong Kong, Columbia, and the Dominican Republic, the police said. "Testimonies by the arrested members of the clan and information collected by international services which combat trade in narcotics prove that this is an organised criminal group of professional assassins and drug dealers, of whom some were also drug addicts," says the police statement. The Serbian police have so far arrested 2,647 persons, of whom 907 are still in police custody and 317 have been sent to prison. (hina) rml