In a move raising fresh questions about the United Kingdom’s commitment to curbing global arms trafficking, British authorities have quietly removed Slobodan Tešić, a notorious Serbian arms dealer, from their sanctions list-despite his continued designation by the United States as a key player in illicit arms sales. The delisting, reported by Serbia’s investigative journalism outlet KRIK, has sparked international criticism and renewed scrutiny of the murky intersection between politics, corruption, and the global weapons trade.

Tešić, often described as one of the most powerful arms brokers in the Balkans, was sanctioned by the UK in December 2022. The measures followed allegations that he bribed senior Bosnian officials, including the now-deceased chief prosecutor Milorad Barašanin and former security minister SelmoCikotić, to facilitate lucrative weapons deals. However, last week, without explanation or public announcement, the British government reversed its decision and removed him from the sanctions list.

The abrupt lifting of restrictions contrasts sharply with the position of the United States, which has maintained sanctions against Tešić since 2017. The US Treasury Department has long accused him of engaging in widespread corruption, using a network of proxies and shell companies to evade sanctions and continue trafficking arms to conflict zones. In 2019, the US expanded its blacklist to include several of his alleged front men, as part of a broader effort to disrupt his operations.

Yet evidence suggests that the sanctions, while symbolically significant, have had limited effect in........

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