Kurti after the action where an old lady in the North was arrested: We will fight at any price against smuggling

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has argued Kosovo Police and Customs's 13 October action against smuggling of goods, saying that for the stability of institutions and rule of law “there can be no stability of crime”.

We fight with criminal groups that are multiethnic, as are Albanians, Bosniaks and Serbs. We will fight against her at any price. For example, there was an action yesterday morning in four different municipalities in Kosovo: Peja, Pristina, North Mitrovica and South where various Albanian and Serbian criminals have co-operated”, Kurti said on October 14th in Skopje, where he is participating in the summit organised by The Economist.

On 13 October, authorities conducted an operation against smuggling goods. This operation was met with protests and blockades in northern Mitrovica and Zvecan, with whom ten police officers were injured, and ten citizens sought medical assistance.

Order authorities also announced they have arrested eight people suspected of being involved in smuggling, already have declared another ten men on the run. Both among those arrested and those wanted, most are Kosovo Albanians.

Prime Minister Kurti also said this action should not be politicised, as according to him, the implementation of the same were Serb prosecutors, but also police of Serbian affiliation.

I think it's too bad to politicise our fight against crime. We need to cooperate with everyone in the Western Balkans against organised crime, which is much more integrated than we are at”, Kurti said.

Meanwhile, Montenegro's deputy prime minister, Dritan Abazovic, said that for Western Balkan countries, organised crime and corruption are the main problem.

I want to connect with Prime Minister Kurti. I think corruption and organised crime is the generator of many negative things in the region. We need to understand that without fighting these factors in the region, within our states, we cannot have institutions that are professional, independent, and that will provide better conditions for people”, Abazovic said.

Kosovo police said that during the 13 September action, they have seized goods and testimony worth hundreds of thousands of euros.