Serb suspect reaches Hague

By Alix Kroeger BBC correspondent in Belgrade

The former head of Serbia's special police, Franko Simatovic, has arrived in The Hague, where he will face war crimes charges.

Simatovic is accused of murdering and deporting Croats and Muslims

Mr Simatovic, who is accused of war crimes in Croatia and Bosnia, surrendered voluntarily to the international war crimes tribunal.

He was also arrested and charged by the Serbian authorities in the wake of the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic two months ago.

Prosecutors will want to question Mr Simatovic to see if he is willing to give evidence in other war crimes trials, possibly in return for reducing the charges against him.

Red Berets founder

Mr Simatovic is the founder and first commander of Serbia's special operations unit, the so-called Red Berets.

During the 1990s the unit armed and fought alongside Serb paramilitary units in Croatia and Bosnia - the basis for the war crimes charges Mr Simatovic is now facing.

The Red Berets also recruited from Serbia's flourishing underworld.

After a new, western-oriented government came to power in 2000, Mr Simatovic disappeared from public view.

He lived undisturbed until March of this year, when Mr Djindjic was assassinated.

The chief suspect was Mr Simatovic's successor as commander of the Red Berets, Milorad Lukovic, known as Legija.

Mr Simatovic was arrested and charged during the subsequent state of emergency.

While he was in detention the war crimes tribunal unsealed its indictment against him and Mr Simatovic decided to go voluntarily to the Hague.

The clean-up following the assassination has exposed numerous links between organised crime, war crimes and Serbia's secret services.