May 3 (Bloomberg) -- Milorad Lukovic, the main suspect in the murder a year ago of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, surrendered to police, Agence France-Presse reported, citing the Serbian Interior Minister Dragan Jocic.

Lukovic, a former leader of a secret police unit, is accused of masterminding the assassination along with Dusan Spasojevic, who was linked to organized crime.

``The top person charged in the case of the murder of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic surrendered himself to Interior Ministry forces,'' AFP reported, citing a statement from the ministry issued late yesterday in Belgrade. ``Lukovic has been arrested and legal proceedings are underway.''

Lukovic, is one of 13 people standing trial for the murder. Six of the accused remain at large. Spasojevic was killed in a clash with police in March last year. Prosecutors say organized crime gangs linked to paramilitary units that served under ousted Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic were behind the March 12 shooting of Djindjic in Belgrade. Djindjic was the force behind Milosevic's ousting and his handover to the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

(Agence France-Presse 5-3)

To contact the reporter on this story: Paul Tighe in Sydney at ptighe@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: May 2, 2004 18:32 EDT