Croatian pilot and his partner from Kosovo arrested: Suspected of spying for Serbia?

(Patria) - Under suspicion of espionage in favor of Serbia, A. M., a Serbian citizen from Kosovska Mitrovica, and her long-term partner, J. I., a member of the Croatian Air Force and military helicopter pilot, were arrested on the island of Vis, reports Index.hr.

According to very sparse information, the proceedings against them are being conducted by both civilian and military police, but Europol is also involved in the investigation.

Investigators suspect that the military pilot disclosed secrets to his partner, and she sent them to the Serbian List.

Index attempted to verify this information but encountered a wall of silence.

According to information gathered by Index, investigators suspect that the Croatian military pilot, who was engaged in KFOR (the NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo), disclosed confidential information to his partner, which she then passed on to members of the Serbian List, the party of the Serbian minority in Kosovo.

It is suspected that J. A. disclosed information to his girlfriend about the movements of Serbs in northern Kosovo from the end of 2022 until this year, as well as about the movements of KFOR units.

Among other things, investigators claim that he revealed useful information to her regarding Zubin Potok, a location in northern Kosovo where problems frequently arise between Serbs and Kosovars. Namely, this is the most politically and security-sensitive part of Kosovo, as Belgrade and Pristina consider it key to controlling and integrating the north.

Zubin Potok has been the site of roadblocks, protests, and clashes between local Serbs and Kosovo authorities, as well as international forces, KFOR and EULEX, on several occasions. Due to its ethnic composition and the sensitivity of political negotiations, any incident in Zubin Potok has broader political repercussions.

They are also charged with exchanging information about the transport of the arrested Dejan Pantić, a Serb and former member of the Kosovo Police, who is accused of participating in attacks on members of the Central Election Commission in northern Kosovska Mitrovica.

The arrested A. M. has been in Croatia on several occasions before. In Serbia, she worked for a foreign company, and in journalistic circles, she is known as a reporter from Kosovska Mitrovica. By profession, she is a sociologist.

Her partner, with whom she has broken up and reconciled several times, is an active member of the Croatian Army. According to publicly available data, he was mostly engaged as a military helicopter pilot.

An unusual fact is that both were arrested as early as July 25 this year. J. I. ended up in prison, while A. M. received a deportation order from Croatia and was placed in a reception center for foreigners in Trilj. It can be concluded that investigators subsequently found communication on their mobile phones that they believe is part of espionage activities, and added it to the evidence.