He was born in Brežice, Slovenia. Son of Montenegrin father who was army officer. He was a petty criminal during his teenage years, before graduating to more serious offences. As an armed robber he had convictions or warrants in Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, and Italy. He was imprisoned in Belgium in 1974, escaping in 1977. Rearrested in the Netherlands in 1979 he escaped again in 1981. He also worked as a hitman in seventies and in early eighties killing a great number of political emigrants and government opponents of then communist regime.
He returned to Serbia after nine years of adventurous and turbulent life spended in Europe, to continue his career, also opening a number of businesses. From October 11, 1990 he began a paramilitary group, the Serbian Volunteer Guard, initially a organization of Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda) supporters. He was arrested by Croatian police with five other men for gun-running on November 29, 1990, and was first political prisoner in Croatia. He was released from prison in June 1991, after sensational trial was mantained in Zagreb.
Nicknamed the Tigers, his group saw action from autumn 1991 to late 1995, initially in eastern Slavonia. Then when war began in Bosnia in April 1992, he and his units moved to Bijeljina, Zvornik, Brčko and other cities to fight a severe combat against Bosnian Muslims and Croats. His group was linked with the Vukovar hospital massacre and other acts of ethnic cleansing. Arkan himself was associated with looting and smuggling operations.
He was feared and hated from other nations worldwide as butcher, had many enemies, was regarded as an notorious Warlord and dangerous man despite having a baby face, and was known for his rough behavior.
He was controversial and boastful person and very powerful man. In private he was a man of his word, decisive, cruel, unforeseeable, mysterious, and sometimes even compassionate, emotional, and humorous, had many faces and characters.
He was praised and glorifyed among nationalistic part of common Serbs, enjoyed war fame, while others slandered him, because of his enormous wealth.
He spoke English fluently, and understood four other European languages.
He had fathered nine children by four different women and was a womanizer.
In November 1993 he founded Serbian Unity Party, and was elected its president.
He married Ceca Veličković, a popular folk singer ("turbo-folk"), on February 19, 1995. Their children are Veljko and Anastasija.
He returned to sport and private bussines after the Dayton Agreement was signed, and became owner of an soccer club "Obilić" which later under his tutorship become national champion in one season.
He was allied with Slobodan Milosevic, and worked under his surveillance, although contacts between them were unofficial and intermediary.
When war broke out in unstable Serbian province of Kosovo in summer 1998 and winter 1999 he ordered his commanders and units to join army and police in fight against Albanian rebels, but he personally did not went there.
He was secretly indicted on September 30, 1997 for war crimes of killing civilians, and crimes against humanity by ICTY, although the warrant was not made public until March 31, 1999, when NATO bombing of Yugoslavia already started.
He denied all war crimes charges against him in interviews he gave to CNN, BBC stations and other foreign reporters.
He was assassinated, on January 15, 2000, at lobby of Intercontinental Hotel, Belgrade, full of guests at evening, shot three times in back of the head at close range, while seating and chating with business associate and acquaintance who were also killed with him, while one woman and killer were wounded.
He was still alive when they put him in the car that drove him to emergency center where doctors could only conclude his death, but he actually died on hands of his wife on the way to hospital.
His liquidation was a result of a well prepared six months long conspiracy against him of gang leaders, businessmans, and top of then leadership, who all got together to get rid to rid of him, all from their own motives and beliefs. Conspirators numbered many people. Large account of money was promised for job, (about 4,5 DM) which after job done they would split among themselfes, as they dealed. He was removed by secret order from Slobodan Milošević sent to his henchmen, former chief of secret state service Radomir Marković. Marković hired businessman Andrija Drašković to found the killers and coordinate rest of job. He was killed also because of his illegal protection business, because he wanted too much money from too many of them. He was killed because he gained too much power, and become unpleasant witness to state involvement in wars, he knew a lot about state inside function and the regime was afraid they could not control him any more. However the main reason of killing is vanity, hatred and envy of those who killed him felt toward him. Order was executed by Belgrade criminals which spiritual leader Arkan was. They called him dad in their jargon. Dragan Nikolić Gagi and Zoran Uskoković Skole with their men followed Arkan's movement, planed and organized murder for four months. The triggerman name is Dobrosav Gavrić former policeman who at the time of murder was on sick leave. He is now an invalid wheel chair bound since the gun battle he had with Arkan bodyguard.