The human remains found by police forensic specialists in Madrid’s Manzanares river on Tuesday afternoon concealed a terrifying crime.

The remains were found under the Victoria bridge, near Valladolid Avenue and San Antonio de la Florida Catholic Church. Police have spent several days recovering the remains of the victim, who was allegedly killed by a feared Serbian paramilitary group known as the Arkan Tigers. On Wednesday, they recovered the handle of a meat grinder, which they believe was used to dispose of the body.

Some members of the gang have been accused of assassinating Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic in 2003.

The victim, whose remains were pulled from the river by the forensic specialists, was a member of another group who supposedly disobeyed his superiors’ orders.

After he was killed by hammer blows, investigators say his killers cut up the body and ate parts of it. Afterwards the rest of the remains were thrown into the river.

Court evidence

High Court Judge Fernando Andreu ordered the search after hearing evidence in the case of four members of the Arkan gang who were arrested last month at a Valencia restaurant. The members had formed another clan — the Zemuns — and some of its top leaders were living in Spain. The list of the Zemun Clan’s criminal activities is long: money laundering, prostitution, drug trafficking, shakedowns and extortion schemes.

Andreu ordered the four men who were arrested in Valencia — including Zemun leader Luka Bojovic — held in custody after finding probable cause that they were had a cache of illegal army weapons at a home and false documents.

Serbia has requested the extradition of the 39-year-old Bojovic as well as his co-defendants Vladimir Milisavljevic and Sinisa Petric for Djindjic’s murder. It is alleged Milisavljevic was the triggerman. Djindjic was killed in revenge for sending Slobodan Milosevic to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Netherlands is also asking for Bojovic’s extradition on money laundering and murder charges. Bojovic is said to have committed 20 murders, dozens of assaults and trafficked scores of cocaine shipments.

Police found documents describing the gruesome killing and cannibalism of the former Serb gang member in Bojovic’s home.