Grisly Murders, Political Cover: A Serbian Gang’s Brutal Murders, Sheltered by the State
Serbian crime gang’s slaughterhouse murders expose a web of brutality and state complicity, with political allies shielding organised crime from justice in Belgrade.
In an unremarkable house on the outskirts of Belgrade, Serbian authorities uncovered a nightmarish scene in 2021. It was here that the Principi, a violent criminal group, had turned a simple suburban home into a "slaughterhouse." Behind a hidden door, police discovered an industrial meat grinder that had been used to dispose of the human remains of their victims. This was no ordinary organized crime story. According to the OCCRP, the Principi’s victims were tortured, decapitated, and dismembered before being reduced to nothing more than bags of flesh, later dumped into the Danube River. But the story doesn’t end with brutality. These acts were both gruesome crime and political scandal, shrouded by a protection racket that reached deep into the Serbian government.
Veljko Belivuk, the gang’s leader, is not an anonymous thug. His group, Principi, is an influential faction among Serbian football hooligans, deeply entwined with a web of criminal alliances and vendettas. Operating as enforcers for the notorious Kavac Clan, Belivuk and his associates didn’t just kill—they mocked, photographed, and shared images of their violence, using encrypted Sky Global phones that they believed were unbreakable. Their "secure" communication was, however, anything but. The crack-down began when European law enforcement broke into the messaging servers, revealing over two million gruesome messages and images. What they exposed was not just a brutal gang but a criminal organization seemingly protected by Serbian law enforcement.
The slaughterhouse murders were as tactical as they were vicious. Victims were often "friends," betrayed and lured by the same criminal network they thought they belonged to. Each message, every photograph, was stored meticulously, sometimes sent to rivals as a taunt. As if out of a horror novel, the Principi used coded language on encrypted phones, revealing in their secrecy and brutality. And yet, as the trial later revealed, these encrypted communications were passed along to Serbian law enforcement in real-time, indicating collaboration at the highest levels.
In the unfolding investigation, one name appeared again and again: Diana Hrkalovic, then the general secretary of the Serbian police. Known as the "second most powerful person" in the force, Hrkalovic was Belivuk’s alleged liaison, funnelling orders from government officials directly to the gang. According to witness testimony and decrypted messages, Hrkalovic was in constant communication with Belivuk, who operated with her explicit endorsement. The gang leaders referred to their benefactors as “the boss” and “the big boss,” shadowy figures assumed to be senior political figures, possibly as high-ranking as President Aleksandar Vucic himself. Despite the damning evidence, Hrkalovic received only a minor charge of abuse of office and has since been released from prison.
The ties between organised crime and Serbian politics were not incidental but systemic. According to Stevan Dojtinovic, a seasoned Serbian investigative journalist, the government itself had “created” Belivuk’s gang. These football hooligans, foot soldiers who carried out the state’s dirty work, enjoyed a safety net courtesy of the same authorities meant to prosecute them. In 2017, three years before the slaughterhouse murders, Belivuk had been arrested for another killing, only to be quietly released with no real consequences. Messages from the time revealed that police not only knew of his activities but had orchestrated cover-ups, even advising him on whom to target.
In another blow to justice, an audio recording obtained by Dojtinovic featured a senior Serbian gendarme holding a meeting with Belivuk’s crew, brazenly discussing their criminal activities. This official was no rogue element. He was a top officer within Serbia’s gendarmerie, an elite police unit, and yet remains untouched by the judiciary. Further encrypted messages show him acting as a go-between for Hrkalovic, passing on her commands to Belivuk and reminding him that the “big boss” was also watching. The government’s iron grip extended so far that when Belivuk claimed to have worked for President Vucic, officials tried to prevent this testimony from reaching the public.
This scandal should have rocked Serbia to its core. Instead, only Belivuk and his immediate associates faced serious charges. The political figures implicated remained virtually untouched. Despite photographs, audio recordings, and decrypted messages, justice has only been half-served. Those in power are shielded, while only the criminals without political office are jailed. In Belgrade, a disturbing reality has been laid bare: criminals operate not just in the shadows but with open protection from within Serbia’s highest ranks.
This saga is no longer merely about brutal murders, it is about a state that tolerates, even supports, organised crime. It’s a narrative that Serbia's leaders appear more than willing to bury alongside the victims.
VIDEO: "Hidden behind a suburban door outside Belgrade lies a chilling story of murder, betrayal, and a gang's gruesome rise, shielded by Serbia’s political elite."