Serbian police have arrested 11 individuals suspected of involvement in a string of hate-motivated crimes in France and Germany, including placing pig heads outside mosques and vandalizing Jewish sites, authorities confirmed on Monday, September 29.
According to Serbia’s Interior Ministry, the group of Serbian nationals had been trained by another suspect “acting under the instructions of a foreign intelligence service.” This individual remains at large, with no details disclosed regarding their nationality. Officials said the group’s goal was to promote hatred, discrimination, and violence.
The arrests took place in Belgrade and Velika Plana, a town about 100 kilometers south of the Serbian capital. Serbian security services worked in coordination with international partners to carry out the operation. The suspects are expected to face charges including racial discrimination, hate crimes, and espionage.
The crimes under investigation include a disturbing series of incidents in France earlier this month. Nine pig heads were discovered outside mosques in Paris and its surrounding areas in early September.
Considered impure in Islam, pig remains were deliberately placed to provoke Muslim worshippers. The act drew condemnation from religious leaders, human rights organizations, and French officials, who warned of rising anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.
In April, Paris witnessed another wave of hate-driven acts. The Holocaust Memorial, three synagogues, and a Jewish-owned restaurant were defaced with green paint. French authorities have since charged and jailed three Serbian nationals in connection with those attacks, linking them to the same network now uncovered in Serbia.
French investigators believe Russia may have been involved in orchestrating or supporting the campaign, although no official confirmation has been made. If verified, this would suggest broader geopolitical motives behind the coordinated acts of hatred, beyond domestic extremism.
The incidents have sparked concern across Europe, where both Muslim and Jewish communities face growing threats. France, home to Europe’s largest Muslim and Jewish populations, has struggled with recurrent hate crimes targeting both groups.
International rights groups have urged governments to respond firmly. “These attacks are not isolated—they are part of a dangerous trend,” said one Paris-based community leader. “We need stronger protections and accountability.”
The Serbian Ministry of Interior emphasized its commitment to combating hate crimes, noting that cooperation with European security services remains ongoing. The suspects will be brought before prosecutors in Serbia in the coming days, with further charges possible as investigations develop.
Authorities in France and Germany are continuing to examine links between the arrested suspects and previous incidents, while also working to determine the extent of foreign involvement in the crimes.
The arrests underscore rising concerns over hate-fueled violence in Europe, increasingly intersecting with global intelligence operations and disinformation campaigns. As trials approach, both Muslim and Jewish communities await justice while calling for greater efforts to protect vulnerable religious groups.