# Vulin bypassed security screening escorted by BIA

Category: Above the law  
Period: from 3 Nov 2026  
Outcome: Under investigation (as of 4 Nov 2026)  

An Air Serbia flight to Moscow carrying Aleksandar Vulin, Srbijagas director Dušan Bajatović and minister Nenad Popović was turned back to Belgrade over Lithuania on 3 November 2026 for additional security checks on one passenger. According to the Third Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, that passenger went through security escorted by a BIA officer without being screened, even though an alarm went off; Nova.rs and Vreme report that the passenger was Vulin. Vulin says it is a political attack. The Third Basic and the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade are looking into whether anyone broke the rules.

## Flight turned back over Lithuania

Air Serbia flight JU134 to Moscow took off from Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport at 18:48 on 3 November 2026 and was turned back to Belgrade while over Lithuania. Air Serbia said it had received information from the relevant airport services that required additional security checks on one passenger.

On board were former BIA director and minister Aleksandar Vulin, Srbijagas director Dušan Bajatović and Nenad Popović, a minister in the caretaker government. After landing, all passengers and their luggage were screened again, and the plane landed in Moscow on the morning of 4 November.

## Oversight without review

According to a statement by the Third Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, CCTV footage showed that one passenger went through security escorted by a BIA officer without the required screening, and an official police note indicates that an alarm went off as he passed through and that he was not checked further.

The police did not tell the duty prosecutor this when they informed him of the incident on the evening of 3 November; instead, they told him all checks had been carried out. The prosecutor's office did not name the passenger; the news site Nova.rs and the weekly Vreme, citing unofficial sources, report that it was Vulin.

## Head of the border police

According to unofficial information obtained by Nova.rs, the head of the Border Police Directorate, Dragiša Simić, allegedly delayed the order to turn the plane back and ordered the shift supervisor not to act on a report of a security breach; the Interior Ministry did not respond to the site's questions.

## A case at two prosecutor's offices

The Third Basic Prosecutor's Office opened a case, and on 4 November the Special Anti-Corruption Department of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade ordered information to be gathered urgently and asked the Third Basic office to hand over the case, since endangering air traffic safety falls under its jurisdiction.

## What Vulin and Bajatović say

Vulin says this is an attempt to settle political scores with him, that nothing illegal was found on him and that he went to Moscow on official business, over a gas deal; from Moscow he said he had not fled anywhere.

Bajatović says he travelled over gas and payments following the Alta banka case and that he does not know why Vulin and Popović were travelling.

## Participants

- [Aleksandar Vulin](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/aleksandar-vulin): Boarded a flight to Moscow even though neither he nor his luggage had gone through security screening (responsible)
- [Security Information Agency](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/bia): According to the prosecutor's statement, one of its officers escorted a passenger through security without the required screening (responsible)
- [Dragiša Simić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/dragisa-simic): According to unofficial information from Nova.rs, he allegedly stalled on the order to turn the plane back and ordered that the report not be processed (responsible)
- [Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/mup-srbije): According to the prosecutors, the police told the duty prosecutor that all checks had been carried out, but did not tell him that an alarm had gone off (responsible)
- [Third Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/trece-ojt-beograd): It opened a case and ordered the police to obtain video surveillance footage, documentation and information about the returned Moscow flight (investigation and courts)
- [Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, Special Department for Combating Corruption](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/vjt-beograd): It ordered urgent gathering of information about the returned flight and asked the Third Basic Prosecutor's Office to hand over the case (investigation and courts)
- [Nikola Tesla Airport a.d. Belgrade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/aerodrom-nikola-tesla): Its director of corporate security ordered the plane back after seeing the lapse on the footage (oversight and the public)
- [Dušan Bajatović](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/dusan-bajatovic): He was on the returned flight; he says he was going to Moscow over gas and payments following the Alta Bank case, and that he does not know why Vulin and Popović were travelling (commented on the case)
- [Aleksandar Vučić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/aleksandar-vucic): He blamed the plane's return on an “errand boy” who wanted to curry favour with the Student List, and put the damage at no less than a million euros (commented on the case)

## Sources

- [N1: Air Serbia on the return of the Moscow flight: Additional security checks of one passenger were necessary](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/er-srbija-o-vracanju-aviona-za-moskvu-neophodne-dodatne-bezbednosne-provere-jednog-putnika/>): 3 Nov 2026
- [Insajder: What we know about the Air Serbia flight to Moscow: plane reaches its destination, reason for additional checks still unknown](<https://insajder.net/drustvo/sta-znamo-o-letu-er-srbije-za-moskvu-avion-stigao-na-odrediste-razlog-dodatnih-provera-i-dalje-nepoznat>): 4 Nov 2026
- [N1: Bajatović to N1: I don't know why Vulin and Popović travelled to Russia; I went because of gas and the problems with Alta Bank](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/bajatovic-za-n1-zasto-su-vulin-i-popovic-putovali-u-rusiju-ne-znam-ja-sam-krenuo-zbog-gasa-i-problema-s-alta-bankom/>): 4 Nov 2026
- [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Plane turned back to Belgrade from Moscow flight lands in Russian capital](<https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/beograd-moskva-avion-let-vulin-popovic-bajatovic/33890279.html>): 4 Nov 2026
- [Nova.rs: Prosecutors open case over flight carrying Vulin, Bajatović and Popović: "Passenger went through security escorted by BIA officer, alarm went off"](<https://nova.rs/vesti/hronika/tuzilastvo-formiralo-predmet-o-letu-na-kojem-su-bili-vulin-bajatovic-i-popovic-putnik-prosao-u-pratni-pripadnik-bia/>): 4 Nov 2026
- [Nova.rs: REVEALED: Aleksandar Vulin escorted onto plane without screening, airport security director ordered aircraft back](<https://nova.rs/vesti/politika/saznajemo-aleksandra-vulina-sproveli-u-avion-bez-provere-direktor-bezbednosti-aerodroma-naredio-vracanje-aviona/>): 3 Nov 2026
- [Vreme: We have learned: plane carrying Vulin turned back from Moscow route, prosecutor waiting for him at Belgrade airport](<https://vreme.com/vesti/saznajemo-avion-sa-vulinom-vracen-iz-pravca-moskve-na-beogradskom-aerodromu-ceka-ga-tuzilac/>): 3 Nov 2026
- [Vreme: Vulin, Bajatović, Popović: What happened on flight JU 134 to Moscow](<https://vreme.com/vesti/vulin-bajatovic-popovic-sta-se-desavalo-na-letu-ju-134-za-moskvu/>): 4 Nov 2026
- [N1: Vulin: I travelled to Moscow on business, I slept during the flight and they woke me up in Belgrade](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/vulin-putovao-sam-u-moskvu-poslovno-spavao-sam-tokom-leta-probudili-me-u-beogradu/>): 4 Nov 2026
- [N1: Prosecutors open case over Moscow flight: passenger went through escorted by BIA officer, without the required security screening](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/tuzilastvo-formira-predmet-o-letu-za-moskvu-putnik-prosao-u-pratnji-sluzbenika-bia-bez-propisanog-bezbednosnog-pregleda/>): 4 Nov 2026
- [Nova.rs: Did border police chief Dragiša Simić obstruct the order to return the plane carrying Vulin, Bajatović and Popović to Belgrade? He did not act on a report of a breach of security measures](<https://nova.rs/vesti/hronika/nacelnik-granicne-policije-dragisa-simic-opstruisao-naredjenje-za-povratak-aviona-sa-vulinom-bajatovicem-i-popovicem-za-beograd-nije-postupio-po-prijavi-o-krsenju-bezbednosnih-mera/>): 4 Nov 2026
- [N1: Higher Prosecutor's Office orders information gathered on plane turned back over Vulin, asks Third Basic office on what grounds it is acting](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/vise-javno-tuzilastvo-aerodrom-vulin-vracanje-aviona-trece-osnovno/>): 4 Nov 2026
- [Nova.rs: Higher Prosecutor's Office seeks questioning of Nikola Tesla Airport corporate security director who turned back plane carrying Vulin and Bajatović](<https://nova.rs/vesti/hronika/vise-tuzilastvo-trazi-da-se-saslusa-direktor-korporativne-bezbednosti-aerodroma-nikola-tesla-koji-je-vratio-avion-u-kom-su-bili-vulin-i-bajatovic/>): 4 Nov 2026
- [Danas: Prosecutors order urgent investigation: why was the Air Serbia plane to Moscow turned back to Belgrade, and who made the decision?](<https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/tuzilastvo-air-serbia-let-za-moskvu/>): 4 Nov 2026
- [Nova.rs: VIDEO Vulin speaks from Moscow: I haven't fled anywhere](<https://nova.rs/vesti/politika/video-vulin-se-javio-iz-moskve-nisam-nigde-pobegao/>): 4 Nov 2026
- [Danas: Vučić comments on Facebook and TikTok on the plane turned back from its flight to Moscow with Vulin, Bajatović and Popović on board](<https://www.danas.rs/vesti/politika/vucic-avion-bajatovic-vulin-popovic/>): 4 Nov 2026
- [Danas: Milan Kuč, security director at Belgrade airport, speaks out after the plane carrying Aleksandar Vulin was turned back](<https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/milan-kuc-er-srbija-avion-vulin/>): 5 Nov 2026

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Source: Odgovornost, https://odgovornost.rs/en/afere/vulin-let-za-moskvu  
As of: 5 Nov 2026  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)