Champions League referee Slavko Vinci was investigated by the Bosnian and Herzegovinian police for his suspected participation in a ring of drugs and prostitution.
The Slovenian, who earlier this season took care of matches involving Manchester City and Liverpool, was nicknamed alongside Tijana Maksimovic who is widely believed to be the prostitution ring chief.
Vincic was detained in a cabin in Bijeljina where authorities discovered nine women, 26 men, and a cache of weapons and cocaine. Vincic took care of the match between Genk and Liverpool in this season’s European elite competition as well as two more Champions League games and one in the Europa Cup,
Croatian daily 24Sata reported that Vincic was arrested alongside Tijana Maksimovic, the ringleader of the prostitution ring alleged by police, who was an assistant to Damir Skomina at Euro 2012. Maksimovic had been arrested while attempting to cross the Croatian border in a boat carrying three women.
Although it is believed that Vincic is not directly involved in the operation, he is accused of being one of the 26 men allegedly caught in possession of drugs and illegal firearms.
Before his release, Vincic, 40, was interviewed as a witness.
Others involved, however, face several charges including offenses including violence, alcohol, and firearms.
Bijeljina police found fourteen packets of cocaine, ten pistols, three suits of body armor, over 10,000 euros, and confiscated in different currencies, phones, and laptops during the hunt for the house and vehicles used by the suspects.
Maribor-born Vincic has protested in the Slovenian media against his innocence.
