Businessman for Serbia, criminal for Kosovo, blacklisted for the US

2025-06-03 21:24:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Zvonko Veselinovic, a controversial businessman from Kosovo, is often mentioned in public, along with Milan Radoicic. Due to their connections to organized crime, both have been on the US "blacklist" since 2021.

Veselinovic and Radoicic, in December 2022, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions.

Armend Muja, a representative of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti's Vetëvendosje party, stirred up the regional public when, three years ago, he published a list with the names of "Serbian criminal organizations and their leaders."

The list that Muja published at the time mentioned the Civil Protection, which he claimed was formed by Goran Raki?, Igor Simi?, Slavko Simi?, Miloš Perovi?, Nenad ?uri? and Stevan Pavi?evi?.

The Northern Brigade, which was created by Andrija Vu?i? (brother of Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i?), Milan Radoi?i?, Zvonko Veselinovi? and Radula Stevi?. The Northern Brigade and the Civil Protection should be declared terrorist organizations – said Muja.

Veselinovi?'s name is not unknown even in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Zvonko Veselinovi? and his brother ?arko Veselinovi?, according to the checks of "persons of interest to security" of the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina, have been regularly coming to this country in recent years. OSA was also informed of this information, and the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as we unofficially learn, also has extensive materials from last year on the role of Zvonko Veselinovi? in the transportation of Russians and Serbs by the BiH security services, it is alleged that Zvonko Veselinovi?'s helicopter was regularly used for transportation.

Belgrade journalist Predrag Popovi? wrote that Veselinovi? bought a Sikorski S-76 helicopter in Germany.

The American model, which can carry 12 passengers and two pilots, with a range of 761 km, costs about half a million euros. Veselinovi? painted it in the colors of the Serbian flag and placed it in a hangar at the Batajnica airport. The same type of helicopter is used by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vu?i?. Both use that means of transport for security reasons, but increasingly they fly in different directions, each on his own side - Popovi? wrote.

Several houses were even built in Vrbnica to house those with questionable backgrounds, and one of them was used by a Russian citizen, a former officer of the GRU (Russian military intelligence). Members of Serbia's far-right organizations were also frequent guests in Vrbnica.

Zvonko Veselinovi? is known as a close and loyal friend of Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i?. Both Vu?i? and Ana Brnabi?, when she was prime minister, often defended the controversial businessman in their public appearances.

When you show me the criminal group of Zvonko Veselinovi? and Milan Radoi?i?, and show me the decisions where they are a criminal group or do not go further, even if you and President Aleksandar Vu?i? have told you this and you have asked to do it, do not do it. Do not criminalize Serbs from the Srpska list - said Brnabi?.

According to the Nova.rs portal, Veselinovi? and Radoi?i? are godfathers and have been repeatedly linked to serious crimes, but have never been convicted. Vu?i? has repeatedly denied any connection to them. Veselinovi?, who was designated by the US Treasury Department as a "notorious corrupt person", was arrested several times for various criminal offenses. This is related to murder, drug trafficking, car and truck theft, building barricades at the Jarinje and Brnjak border crossings, and illegal gravel mining.

His name first appears in the White Book of Organized Crime, a Serbian police document that was published in early 2000. Veselinovi? was described as the suspected leader of a group that "stole iconic vehicle engines" from the southern (Albanian) part of the city to the northern (Serbian) part, and that also operated in Pristina and cities in Serbia./ Kosova Press