Albert Veliu's ties to Kosovo Embassy pose escape risk

US authorities have refused the condition for Albert Veliun, the official driver of the Kosovo consulate in New York, because he may be able to secure a new passport and diplomatic status if he was released from 11 prison, BIRN has learned.

Veliu, an employee of the Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is accused by the Justice Department of being arms smuggler, drug dealer and money launderer, maintaining ties with the Cosa Nostra criminal organisation and Albanian organised crime figures in New York and the Czech Republic.

In a written statement taken by BIRN, prosecutor Bridget Rohde argued that Veliu was not released on condition after he presented a “threat to community” and “risking that he could quit”. Judge Steven Gold agreed, and turned Veliun into custody.

Rohde wrote that Veliu had boasted in numerous cases at the secret agency of the Drug Enforcement Department, DEA, which he can transport “smuggling through airports due to his workplace at consulate”.

The prosecutor added: “is concerned about the government that Veliu's ties to the Kosovo consulate will enable him to obtain substitute travel documents and diplomatic credentials”.

In a written statement, the Kosovo Embassy in Washington, DC, which is responsible for the New York consulate, said Veliu had been a driver since 2010, but was dismissed with an immediate <x0-effective” following his arrest.

The General Consulate will fully co-operate with the American authorities, as did Kosovo Police in this case”, the statement said.

“Before his work in the General Consulate he has brought evidence that there was no criminal record” added the embassy.

“Z. Veliu was not a Kosovo diplomat and he did not own a diplomatic passport/ ID”, the embassy insisted.

As part of the DEA operation, Veliu reportedly sold to a secret agent 15 AK-47 and a Yugoslav-era Zolja rocket launcher.

He had secured weapons during a trip to Kosovo in June before returning to New York on 21 June, from where he ran operations.

On 27 June, four of his associates were arrested in Kline, west of Kosovo, with guns, while Veliu and five others were arrested in New York.

Veliu said Mexican cartels needed weapons to fight drugs near the US border.

The 34-year-old is also said to have cleared the supposed 800,000 drug dollars through a number of companies with the help of collaborators, including his brother, Alban Veliu.

Alban Veliu, Dilber Kukic, Ekram Sejija, Xhevat Gocaj and Agim Rugova are also accused of money laundering.

In a series of meetings with DEA agents, Veliu boasted that his cousin was Alex Rudaj, a prominent leader of Albanian organised crime in New York, according to the indictment taken by BIRN.

In 2006, Rudi was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 27 years in U.S. prison.

Veliu and another defendant, Christopher Curanovic, an associate of La Cosa Nostra, are also accused of mediating about two kilograms of marijuana into a confidential DEA source.

Anthony Noterile, another associate of the Italian criminal gang, is accused of money laundering.

Richard Levit, Veliu's lawyer, told BIRN: “We have no comment at this time. ”

The accused have not yet appeared before the tribunal to respond to the charges.