Uroš Nikolić (40), a well-known basketball referee, was arrested on Wednesday in a major police operation, under the order of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime, on suspicion of being part of an organized criminal group accused of serious crimes.
Nikolić was detained in an international police operation in which 13 people were arrested.
He is still listed on the EuroLeague website as one of the referees officiating games in the competition, and he is expected to be questioned this Thursday.
He will be remembered for the scandal that occurred in May of this year when he expelled Ivo Daneu, the legendary Yugoslav basketball player, from the arena in Ljubljana — an incident that caused a major uproar and drew reactions from many famous players, including Luka Dončić. The ABA League later issued an apology.
The referee trio decided, at the end of the third quarter, to remove Ivo Daneu from the arena — the basketball legend who, with the Yugoslav national team, won the world gold medal in 1970 in the very same arena where the game was played. It is not known what led to the referees’ decision, which involved Uroš Nikolić, Uroš Obrknežević, and Marko Mustapić.
“I only said it was traveling, and my colleague, who was a bit more nervous, told them they were thieves. Then we both had to leave the arena. I’ve never experienced anything like that. It’s a shame that a game like this is officiated by such referees, who are supposed to be the best in the region. I don’t know where basketball is headed — that’s the saddest part. My ejection from the arena doesn’t matter; other things are more important,” Daneu told Siol.
In the large international police operation on Wednesday, 13 people were arrested in Belgrade, Šabac, and Spain, on suspicion of being part of the organized criminal group known as the Vračar clan.
In the statement from the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime, it is stated that the following individuals were arrested in the operation: B.S, U.N, S.M, M.A, N.O, M.T, and M.Ć in Belgrade; in Šabac, three individuals: Đ.T, S.M, and D.G; and three abroad: M.Đ, A.O, and V.M, two of whom were in the Kingdom of Spain.
What a disgrace from @ABA_League2. The refferees removed basketball legend Ivo Daneu from the hall – in the same hall Ivo won the World Championship tittle in 1970. 🤠🤠🤠 pic.twitter.com/fqnKaICx3s
— Matic Burjak (@burito_69_) May 7, 2025
They are accused of criminal association for the purpose of committing criminal acts, aggravated murder, and causing general danger. Seven individuals were arrested in Belgrade, while three were arrested in Šabac and three in Spain.
There is reasonable suspicion that members of the organized criminal group known as the “Vračarci,” whose leaders Nikola Vušović (currently imprisoned in Germany) and Uroš Piperski (imprisoned in Portugal) are already under trial before the Special Department of the Higher Court in Belgrade for organized crime, committed the crime of aggravated murder against V.P. on December 1, 2018, as well as three attempted murders of N.A. in 2020, and three acts of causing general danger during 2020 and 2021. Members of the affiliated organized criminal group also committed the aggravated murder of K.V. on June 18, 2020, who later died from his injuries on July 12, 2020.
“There is reasonable suspicion that members of the organized criminal group known as the ‘Vračarci,’ whose organizers Nikola Vušović is in prison in Germany and Uroš Piperski in Portugal,” the statement said.
All individuals detained in Belgrade were placed under police custody and will be brought before the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime.
They were arrested today on suspicion of committing the murder of Vladimir Popović, known as Pop, in December 2018, the murder of V.K. in 2020, and several attempted murders of Nenad Alajbegović, known as Alibeg.
In today’s operation in Belgrade, seven people were detained: B.S, U.N, S.M, M.A, N.O, M.T, and M.Ć; in Šabac, three individuals: Đ.T, S.M, and D.G; and three abroad: M.Đ, A.O, and V.M, two of whom were in the Kingdom of Spain.
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Source: Nova.rs; Foto: Peđa Milosavljevic / STARSPORT