Arrested on suspicion of espionage, Croatian pilot knew everything about Serbian girlfriend’s maneuvers
Express newspaper
29/08/2025 8:32
A love affair of international proportions, which is shaking the region, has erupted in Croatia following the arrest of a Croatian Air Force pilot and his partner, a Serbian citizen originally from Mitrovica, Kosovo, both suspected of espionage.
According to the Croatian media outlet Slobodna Dalmacija, 54-year-old pilot JI from Split and his 46-year-old partner AM, an unemployed sociologist, have been arrested and are being held in custody in the Bilica prison, following the decision of the Split District Court judge. The suspicions against them are serious: they are accused of involvement in an espionage network linked to the Serbian List, a political party close to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, and persons considered to be leaders of Serbian extremist organizations in Kosovo.
The Croatian pilot, a former member of KFOR peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan, is accused of transmitting confidential information about the movement and deployment of KFOR troops in Kosovo to his partners. According to the Prosecution, she sent this data via encrypted applications to structures close to Belgrade.
Investigations show that the pair met in 2016 in Kosovo, when the pilot was part of the Croatian contingent within KFOR, while AM worked as a translator in the EU rule of law mission – EULEX. Their relationship continued and, as evidence suggests, turned into a suspicious collaboration.
Ironically, the pilot himself is alleged to have had suspicions about his partner’s activities, even stating that she might be involved in “trading sensitive information.” However, he never reported this fact to the authorities, raising serious questions about his intentions and possible involvement.
The Croatian media outlet writes that the case brings to mind the iconic sentence from the film “Balkan Spy”, where actor Danilo Bata Stojkovic says: “In this business there is a fundamental and sacred rule: everything is the opposite of what it seems.”
This is exactly how, according to SD, this love affair and espionage can be described, which involves military information, geopolitical clashes, and dark connections with radical structures.
At the moment, both are in custody – the pilot due to the risk of witness tampering, while his partner due to the risk of flight. She is a Serbian citizen and has no legal, family or economic ties to Croatia. Croatian authorities consider her possible departure if she is released.
During her defense, the suspect surprised investigators by declaring that she works for the German secret service – BND. A statement that, if proven, would have serious diplomatic consequences, as Germany is one of the main countries in the KFOR mission and a major supporter of Kosovo.
According to the indictment, the suspect was in direct communication with Vladimir Radivojevic, known as “Mami”, a key figure in the “Northern Brigade” organization, which operates in northern Kosovo and is linked to violent acts and opposition to the authority of Pristina. She had written to him on December 25, 2022, saying that “Serbs should hit KFOR as best they can”, while the pilot had sent her a message like “last night we really ruined the job”.
Mamija’s name is also mentioned in the indictment filed by the Kosovo Special Prosecution Office for the terrorist attack in Banjska on September 24, 2023, in which four people were killed, including a Kosovo police officer. More than 40 people are under indictment in the case, and the suspect’s connections to this circle further cast a shadow over the case.