Case of the Armored Transport Vehicle

Everything can be blamed on television— as always.  Working on the ground, near Prekaz, at the beginning of March, a BBC crew unknowingly shot footage in which a blue armored police vehicle on caterpillars can be seen in the background.  Footage was sent to London, and the documentary show was edited and released.  Two weeks ago this same show was aired in Holland and a scandal broke out.  Several military personnel recognized this armored vehicle as one of the armored transport vehicles belonging to the Dutch UNPROFOR battalion which was taken from them during the fall of Srebrenica in July 1995.  Scandal erupted: footage was returned, magnified, color photographs were made, and experts were brought in.  The conclusion made by officers of the armored units was supported by British Major Haemann, editor of the reference almanac “Jane’s World Armies” and expert for reading scout photographs and footage. With 90 percent certainty, it was concluded that the vehicle in the BBC footage is the Dutch armored transport vehicle of the type YPR-765 PRI/I, a local version which is closest to the American M-113.  As far as it is known, neither the Yugoslav Army nor any of the ministries of internal affairs (MUP’s) are in the possession, or were ever in the possession of such armored vehicles.  The possibility of a mistake is virtually ruled out, state the Dutch.  The only armored transporter in the possession of the Yugoslav armed forces and police which could come close to the one taken footage of is the old M-60, but its silhouette and overall dimensions are quite different.

The armored transporter YPR-765 PRI/I is an amphibious vehicle with caterpillars that has a total crew capacity of ten soldiers.  It is armed with a machine gun of the mark “Browning”, 12.7 mm caliber, a motor with 264 horsepower, and a top speed of 60 km/hr.  It weighs 13.7 tons, is 5.2 meters long, and 2.8 meters wide.  In 1975, Holland ordered the first 880 units of this vehicle from the American firm FMC with the Dutch DAF company soon joining in to become the finalist in joint production.  Since 1981 another 840 vehicles were manufactured.  Holland sold these transporters to armies of different countries (Philippines, Belgium, etc.).

When it turned out that the MUP of Serbia was caught red handed, i.e. that there is reason for suspicion that it is using a motor vehicle of suspicious origins, the Dutch government requested an explanation and the return of the vehicle by the Government of FR Yugoslavia.  Unfortunately, the result of this diplomatic demarche still remains unknown.  Beside the Dutch Government and public outrage, the case drew interest from the Hague Tribunal and the United Nations.  Namely, when the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) took Srebrenica, the Dutch UNPROFOR battalion was practically disarmed and plundered, in which event Holland, besides being injured on the level of military pride, also suffered material damages in the amount of 25 million dollars, which it is now seeking from the UN.  The battalion had a total of 14 armored transporters of the type YPR-765 of different configurations; and eight were later found, thoroughly disassembled and unusable.  Six transporters disappeared without a trace, and UNPROFOR and Holland believed until two weeks ago that VRS had hid them somewhere.  Now it appears that at least one of the transporters crossed the River Drina...

The situation is quite unpleasant, and would even be scandalous  in a different system of values.  In a state in which it is quite unclear how many government vehicles could actually cross the border and be checked in European police computers without danger, one armed transport vehicle more or less is of little consequence.  It already happened that government vehicles were appropriated in Hungary and Austria, because it turned out that they were on the list of stolen cars.  People who are familiar with this have been pointing out that stolen vehicles are being punctually exchanged between Dayton states — Yugoslavia, Croatia, and Bosnia.  Better skilled professionals are capable of stealing a vehicle in Germany and driving it across Italy and Montenegro to Herzegnovi in less than 24 hours.  In any case, didn’t a foreign diplomat recognize his stolen Mercedes with Belgrade four-digit plates parked in front of the Yugoslav Parliament?  It turned out that this vehicle, for which a search was punctually filed, had been appropriated by  Federal Customs at the border who had given it as a present to federal agencies.

Judging by all accounts, it appears that this armed transport vehicle was also a brotherly gift made by Republika Srpska to the brotherly Serbian Police.