Derbyshire man extradited from the UK for war crimes

An International Arrest Warrant was issued for Milenko Maric for ‘crimes against humanity’ by a Croatian prosecutor's office in 2001.

The 63-year-old, who had been living in the Normanton area of the city, was arrested in Derby but granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK while a trial and subsequent appeal took place in Croatia.

Maric was a former member of the Secretariat for International Affairs of Manastir and was charged with removing a number of civilians of non-Serbian ethnic origin from the Baranya region and assaulting them during August and September 1991.

His extradition was ordered at a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court in September 2022, with conditions to wear an electronic tag and stay in Derbyshire or Leicestershire until a formal date was confirmed. Maric was extradited to Croatia on Wednesday 5 April.

Temporary Sergeant Sarah Baker, of International Liaison Unit, said: “We continue to work with law enforcement partners nationally and internationally to remove dangerous offenders, and ensure people are brought to justice.

“This forms part of our commitment to ensuring Derbyshire is a safe place, and not somewhere to go where you can evade the consequences of your previous actions in other parts of the world.”

Anyone with information or suspicion about crimes with an international element should contact Derbyshire Police on the details below:

Facebook– send a private message to Derbyshire Police Facebook page

Twitter– direct message contact centre via @DerPolContact

Website– use reporting tools on Derbyshire Police website or use online contact form

Phone – call 101

You can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111, or by visiting the CrimeStoppers website.