Dušan Spasojević ( sr-cyrl, Душан Спасојевић; 10 July 1968 – 27 March 2003), known by the nicknames Duća and Šiptar (a derogatory term for

Albanians The Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, Albanian culture, culture, Albanian history, history and Albanian language, language. They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, ...

) was the head of one of the largest

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

n criminal groups on record, the Zemun Clan. The peak of Zemun Clan's influence occurred from 2000 until 2003 when a country-wide manhunt, named Operation Sabre, was initiated after the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister

Zoran Đinđić Zoran Đinđić ( sr-Cyrl, Зоран Ђинђић, ; 1 August 1952 – 12 March 2003) was a Serbian politician and philosopher who served as the Prime Minister of Serbia, prime minister of Serbia from 2001 until Assassination of Zoran Đinđić, ...

, leading to more than 11,000 people associated with organized criminal groups being detained. Serbian police surrounded Spasojević and his accomplice, Mile Luković. After a shootout between the two sides, Spasojević and Luković were killed by police, according to the official version, in front of their hiding place by a sniper in the village of Meljak near

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

on 27 March 2003.

References

1968 births 2003 deaths Serbian gangsters Zemun Clan Unsolved deaths People from Medveđa People shot dead by law enforcement officers in Serbia {{Authority control 2003 murders in Europe