ATHENS, Sept 18 - A Croatian basketball coach working for a Greek club was arrested in the port city of Thessaloniki in connection with several murders in his home country, police said on Monday.

Ernest Radjan, the 47-year-old assistant coach with PAOK Thessaloniki -- one of the country's top clubs -- was detained on Friday following an Interpol warrant for his arrest, Greek police said.

It was not immediately clear whether the murders were connected to war crimes committed by ethnic Serb rebels during Croatia's 1991-95 war of independence.

"He is wanted for multiple murders and robberies committed in Croatia several years ago," a northern Greek police official told Reuters. "I cannot tell you if they are connected to war crimes or not."

However, Croatian media, which reported the arrest, said Radjan was wanted on suspicion of involvement in the massacre of dozens of Croat civilians by rebel Serb troops in the southern village of Skabrnja in November 1991.

The Croatian Justice Ministry is expected to file an extradition request for Radjan as soon as his identity is confirmed, the Jutarnji List daily said.

The Greek official said Radjan, who holds a Croatian passport, would be taken to a prosecutor later on Monday and would remain in custody until the country's appeals court rules on any extradition to Croatia.

PAOK club officials said they were shocked by the arrest but refused to comment further. They said Radjan was an ethnic Serb.