The Hague - Serbian war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic arrived in the Netherlands, news reports said Wednesday.

A plane carrying the former Bosnian Serb leader arrived at Rotterdam airport early Wednesday morning, the ANP news agency said.

Karadzic, who was arrested in Belgrade on July 21, is to be transferred by helicopter to the UN tribunal in The Hague, where he faces charges of genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the Bosnian war from 1992 to 1995.

Karadzic said he would defend himself in The Hague. (dpa)