A suspected Balkan drug lord accused of smuggling tons of cocaine from South America to Europe was arrested by Serbian authorities on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
According to authorities, Darko Saric agreed to surrender in an unnamed Latin American nation.
"I would like to extend my special thanks to the American intelligence agency CIA," said Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic.
In police video footage, Saric, 44, is seen handcuffed and being escorted out of a plane that flew from Belgrade to his native Montenegro, where he requested to meet with his lawyer and family.
The suspected drug trafficker has been hiding since October 2009, when a shipment of 2.7 tons of cocaine was interrupted near the Uruguayan Atlantic coast by international authorities, including U.S. Drug Enforcement Agents.
According to the AP, Balkan countries are among the most traveled drug-smuggling routes toward western Europe.
Miljko Radisavljevic, Serbia's organized crime prosecutor, said Saric is charged with trafficking at least 5.7 tons of cocaine and laundering around 22 million euros ($30 million). Additionally, eleven of his alleged gang members will be put on trial in Belgrade while another 18 are on the run.
Saric is accused of running a powerful organized crime ring that led to smuggling cocaine through several Latin American and European countries and allegedly laundered his money through investing in private companies. Following his disappearance, all of his luxurious properties were impounded by authorities.
