Italian authorities arrested a cruise ship security officer at the port of Civitavecchia who is accused of war crimes and genocide dating back to the war in the former Yugoslavia.
According to reporting by Corriere della Sera, the suspect, identified as 58-year-old Milan Babic, had been working on MSC Cruises ships for many years under a false identity. Police say he was taken into custody as the cruise ship arrived in Civitavecchia after sailing from Genoa.
The arrest itself proved challenging. Officials say Babic, described as nearly two meters tall, initially joined other crew members preparing to disembark but became suspicious upon spotting undercover police officers waiting at the dock. He retreated back onto the ship and hide in a confined space near the engine room. It took police more than three hours to locate him inside what authorities described as a “floating city.”
Investigators believe Babic had managed to evade detection for years by altering his surname on official documents, reportedly adding an accent mark. That tactic failed during routine checks by Italian border police, who cross-referenced multiple versions of non-Italian names. After confirming his identity with assistance from the cruise company and matching passport records, officers moved in.
He was eventually detained and transferred first to Borgata Aurelia prison and later to a facility in Terni, where he remains pending judicial proceedings tied to a European arrest warrant issued by Croatia.
The arrest warrant stems from an investigation launched last year into individuals linked to paramilitary groups accused of carrying out ethnic cleansing operations during the war in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Italian police, citing documentation from Croatian authorities, allege that Babic was involved in actions that led to the killing and forced displacement of thousands of civilians. He is also wanted by Serbian authorities for the murder of an elderly Serbian national who was bedrridden due to illness, allegedly shot with a Kalashnikov after being unable to comply with an order.
Those allegations align with findings previously examined by the International Criminal Court, which has characterized similar campaigns as part of coordinated efforts to establish ethnically homogeneous territories during the conflict.
The case now moves into the extradition phase, with Italian courts expected to decide whether Babic will be transferred to Croatia to face trial.
