Police: Falling criminal groups in the north, part of them forced to flee Kosovo

“Criminal groups tend to stir up incidents throughout the country, but the most pronounced are in the north. Of course, police have co-operation even with citizens of the northern part, an extremely high percentage every day, and more are being conscious, citizens are in trouble from criminal groups that fortunately every day these criminal groups are less or less because a number of them have been arrested, a number of them have been forced to flee Kosovo, are not found in Kosovo. We on a daily basis, weekly monitor locations where they have settlements and do raids and checks on their homes, but also other operational routes with the help of other intelligence units make sure they're at home and locations where they have <x1) settlements, he said.

The situation in the north of the country calls it stable, until it shows that there have been other operational shares in that section regarding smuggling allegations and organised crime. He says there were arrested and confiscated transport tools in these shares.

The situation in the north is relatively calm, Kosovo police cover every corner of Kosovo's territory with routine daily patrols, border police and other entities. We have cases after the last operation in the north, we have persons arrested, goods confiscated along with Kosovo Customs, we have transport motor vehicles that have been confiscated, it's not a very pronounced number but there are police commitments, and every time police are aware of any criminal activity and people brought to justice”, he said.

Regarding the action in the Ministry of Transport dealing with allegations of <x0-ditch” with driver's license, Ahmeti has given no details because they are awaiting the Court's decision regarding the case.

This operation is conducted by the Investigation Department, it's a very successful operation, it's in the initial phase of the investigation, the persons who are suspected of eventual abuses they've made are under arrest, the subject has now been passed to the Competent Court and I believe the Court will say the last word”, he said.

Ahmeti has also spoken in this interview with the number of criminal acts in the first six months of this year. He said there is a reduction this year -9.96 percent of criminal acts compared to the six - month period of 2018. “The security situation in the country is relatively calm, there is no element of destabilisation. Statistics speak of a very positive trend of cases in general, the number of criminal acts has marked a reduction by -9.96 percent compared to the same period in 2018. Of the 15 thousand and 37 works that took place in the first six months of 2018, in the first six months of this year, there is a decline in 13 thousand and 539 cases of criminal acts. The cases have marked a drop by -5.53 percent, from 20 thousand and 446 cases to 18 thousand 701 cases”, he told EO.

While discussing the number of detainees, Ahmeti says these arrests led more cases allegedly to criminal acts against property. “As for the number of arrests 4 thousand 519 persons have been arrested this six months, while 5 thousand and 20 have been in the same period last year, detained persons at the detention centres are 1598 people during this six-month period of 1532 last year. The number of detainees is for all works starting from breaking order and public calm, minor and serious injuries, murders, thefts, economic crimes, etc. Mostly criminal acts against property are more pronounced, and the largest number of those arrested are part of this” area. During this six-month period, 3,000 drivers have been granted the right to drive from 3 to 24 months, as well as 7 thousand others have been given negative points. During this period we had 3 thousand drivers who were barred from running from 3 months to 24 months and 7 thousand others to whom negative points have been placed. It's an extremely large number and we really try to make sure drivers, traffic participants are disciplined and safe not to cause any danger to them and other traffic participants” every time. He has said that Kosovo police on a daily basis are conducting operations for various cases of theft, robbery, persons suspected of murder, economic crimes and organised crime.