ZAGREB (AFP) - Former Croatian prime minister Ivo Sanader was detained in Austria Friday, hours after Zagreb issued an international warrant for his arrest, the interior ministry said. Sanader, who led the government from 2003 until 2009, is wanted by organised crime and corruption investigators for associating to commit a criminal act and abuse of power, the arrest warrant said. Croatian police were informed by their Austrian counterparts that Ivo Sanader was detained today at 3:50 pm (1450 GMT) in the (western) region of Salzburg upon an international arrest warrant, said the ministry statement. Austrian police confirmed Sanaders arrest and said he was stopped on the Tauern motorway. Sanader was then brought to a regional court in Salzburg. The operation was carried out by Austrian police in conjunction with German and Croatian investigators. Croatia issued the warrant a day after he slipped out of the country, just hours before parliament stripped him of his immunity at the prosecutors request, paving the way for his detention. The warrant was widely seen as significant as the country seeks to join the European Union. An anti-graft crackdown is seen as key if Zagreb wants to meet the criteria to join the 27-nation bloc. The interior ministry said once a written confirmation of the arrest was received, it would be forwarded to Croatian justice officials so that an extradition procedure could be launched. In a text message sent to Croatias state-run HINA news agency, Sanader reportedly said he had not fled the country, insisting he was a victim of political harassment. Police also searched Sanaders house in central Zagreb on Friday. On Thursday, Croatian President Ivo Josipovic told journalists that the move to investigate Sanader showed that the rule of law is being implemented. The question is not whether Sanader is guilty or not... This case is an example that will show whether the system of responsibility in Croatia is functioning or not, he said. Sanader, Croatias first prime minister to come under investigation for corruption, was a dominant figure on the former Yugoslav republics political scene for years. Taking the helm of the HDZ party in 2000, he steered it away from the nationalist bent it had under late autocratic president Franjo Tudjman and brought it closer to Europes mainstream conservatives. The party expelled Sanader in January after he criticised his successor Jadranka Kosor, but he returned to frontline politics in October. Croatian media have repeatedly linked him with corruption. A close Sanader associate was detained recently on suspicion of having instructed public companies to make business deals worth millions of euros (dollars) with a local promotion firm. Money from the deals for fictitious services reportedly ended up in the pockets of private individuals and in party coffers. Several senior political and civil service figures have been investigated and some convicted for corruption. However, Sanaders detention is seen as a crucial move to show the countrys determination to fight corruption. It is nothing new or sensational, commented Damir Grubisa, a political analyst. It is a small step for democracy but a giant and decisive leap for Croatia. For the first time such a high official will be most likely charged, he said. Closely monitored by Brussels, Zagreb has stepped up efforts in recent months to root out corruption. Croatia aspires to become the EUs 28th member by 2012.