Croatian 'gem' general extradited

Mr Zagorec has been working as a property developer in Austria

A former Croatian general suspected of stealing �3m worth of diamonds has been extradited from Austria to Croatia.

Vladimir Zagorec is alleged to have taken the gems while he was deputy defence minister during Croatia's war in the 1990s.

He is suspected of taking the diamonds from an arms dealer as a guarantee against the delivery of anti-aircraft rockets - in breach of a UN embargo.

Mr Zagorec - who has lived in Austria since 2000 - denies the allegations.

On Thursday, he arrived in Zagreb on a regular flight from Vienna and was taken to a prison in the Croatian capital.

Mr Zagorec will now face an investigative judge, who will recommend to the prosecutors whether to indict him or drop the charges.

He had challenged his extradition to Croatia, but an Austrian court rejected his complaints.

Mr Zagorec has been working as a property developer in Austria.