Mitrovica north targeted in combating organised crime, smuggling

Kosovo Police Inspectorate (IPK) has announced that Thursday's action is the continuation of the operation conducted in May of this year codenamed “contrabanda”. As a result of this operation, which has been under way since May, 25 people have so far been arrested.

The arrest of the three suspects (a police lieutenant, a sergeant and a police official) has been carried out on the Special Prosecutor's orders on suspicion that the same acts have been committed by “Organised Crime” and “The use of the official position. The detainees will be interviewed by investigators and Kosovo Police Inspectorate in co-ordination with competent prosecutor”, the Police Inspectorate said.

The northern part of Kosovo, which extends to the border with Serbia, according to Kosovo Customs, continues to remain the most affected area by organised crime and smuggling. Although according to Kosovo Customs spokesman Adriatic Stavileci, the level of smuggling has generally marked decline if comparisons are made over the years.

“We have some parts in which we exercise more frequent controls such as the part of northern Kosovo, there we have smuggled, but not high-valued smuggling, but low-value goods, and we also have at the border crossing at White Dhedu, because of the terrain in the area where the Serbian border of Kosovo and vice versa is very easily crossed. Also at other points connecting Kosovo with Albania is the area where it smuggled”, Stavileci told Radio Free Europe.

Kosovo Customs and business representatives say that since the Kosovo Government imposed 100 per cent customs tax on imports from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (on November 21st, 2018), the trend for greater smuggling of goods in the country's north has increased.

Kosovo Economic Ode Chairman Berat Rukiqi tells Radio Free Europe that Serbia's smuggling stimulus has affected the smuggling rate in the country's north.

“Kontrabanda is the most widespread in northern Kosovo because there has been less control and the capacity of the rule and the law are limited to this part. I believe there should be a Persian task force treating this. The institutional capacity for combating smuggling should be increased, not only in this part, but in every part of the country”, Rukiqi says.

Authorities in Kosovo have consistently stressed that they continue their commitment to fight corruption and organised crime in the country's north without compromise, as well as to extend constitutionality and rule of law throughout the territory of the Republic.

During May, Kosovo Police had conducted an operation in northern and southern Mitrovica, which had resulted in the ban on 19 police officials and some citizens. Even then, as Kosovo Special Prosecutor and Kosovo Police officials had announced, police action was aimed at combating crime and smuggling.

During the police action, a police official was wounded by gunfire. Meanwhile, four other police officials had suffered minor injuries during the implementation of duties.

The police operation had included several different regions, such as Zvecan municipalities, Zubin Potok, Leposavic, northern Mitrovica, southern Mitrovica, Skenderaj and Drenas.

The Kosovo Police Directorate for the north of Mitrovica during another action Thursday has arrested three people (civils) suspected of criminal work, robbery. The action was split with the one held against organised crime in the north.