Serbia detains four in EU explosives, drone probe

Serbian prosecutors said Thursday that four people had been detained in an investigation into an “organised group” suspected of moving explosives and drones into European Union countries.

Prosecutors said the group, which they said included three other members, was suspected of obtaining explosives and drones in Serbia and moving them to “locations planned and agreed in advance” inside EU countries.

They said the group was uncovered after explosives were found near a gas pipeline on Serbia’s northern border with Hungary in April. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said at the time that the explosives could have caused significant damage to the pipeline, which transports Russian gas into Hungary.

Prosecutors said the Serbian investigation began on June 12 and that they were cooperating with investigative authorities in European countries. They did not release details or nationalities of those arrested.

Magazine Der Spiegel separately reported that German investigators were examining possible links between an explosive-laden drone found at Leipzig airport last month and the arrest of two men carrying drone components and explosives on the Serbian-Hungarian border on June 11.

German authorities have accused Moscow of an attempted “hybrid attack” over the Leipzig drone incident and imposed sanctions on Moscow earlier this week. Serbian prosecutors have not connected their investigation to the Leipzig incident.