Serbian police found a cache of weapons near the family home of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vu?i?, the interior minister confirmed, DPA reports, citing Blic daily.

"The prime minister and his family are momentarily safe ... but physical security is not sufficient," Interior Minister Neboj?a Stefanovi? was quoted as saying.

"The key to security is in intelligence work and we need to find out what's going on, who has such intentions and do all we can to stop something like that," he said, referring to threats to Vu?i?.

The weapons, including a rocket-propelled grenade and four hand grenades, were stashed in a car parked not far from the house in the wooded suburb of Jajinci, Blic had reported earlier in the day.

The cache was found on a tip from a citizen who reported the suspicious vehicle.

The prime minister does not live there, and stays at an official residence.

The conservative Vu?i?, by far the most powerful man in Serbia over the last four years, has made claims in the past that he has received threats because of reforms he is pursuing.

In March 2003, a group of rogue policemen and an organized crime clan assassinated the pro-Western premier, Zoran Djindic.

Despite the massive crackdown on organized crime that followed, Serbia remains plagued by it. A more efficient administration and system to lead the fight against crime and corruption is one of the crucial demands that the European Union has made of Serbia in membership talks.