American sanctions for gangs in the north: Are measures being taken by the state, Minister Haxhiu speaks

Days earlier, the United States Treasury Department imposed sanctions on an organised crime group operating in northern Kosovo, whose top is Zvonko Veselinovic, as suspected of trafficking goods, money, narcotics and weapons between Kosovo and Serbia. During Friday, the Ministry of Infrastructure suspended the road maintenance contract to Radule Stevic's company, which is part of the list.

However, Haxhiu told Kosovo Press that she is also concerned about withdrawing the warrant for Milan Radocicin, who is also part of this list. According to her, the warrant for Radociqi has been withdrawn for reasons that have not yet been made clear by the Special Prosecutor.

“We like Government, but also as Justice Minister, have welcomed sanctions imposed on Serb criminals from the United States Treasury Department. I consider that not only after these sanctions but also in advance has it had to have acts of both security and justice institutions, in relation to these people. And especially now after sanctioning, I have no information if institutions are addressing this. I was extremely concerned that, for one of them, in February of this year, arrest warrants were withdrawn, and I was even surprised at the former prosecutor's statement of this subject saying there were also high profiles coming to my door, referring to Albanian politicians to pressure him to withdraw this arrest warrant”, she said.

The justice minister also said that Kosovo's justice and security institutions should not have mercy on criminals who have operated freely in Kosovo.

Haxhiu even said that people who have entered the blacklist from the United States could not be part of crime and corruption without the support of policies of past governments.

After that, if not earlier, institutional action is needed by the security, justice and executive institutions, and in that direction we have agreed with the government cabinet ministers that everything that depends on us be addressed here, with particular emphasis on the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Infrastructure, but of course other ministries if they have competencies. Directly, the Ministry of Justice has no responsibility in this, but we are identifying whether we have anything we can do, we should not have mercy on criminals who have been operating freely in Kosovo, it is quite clear that these could not operate with violations, crime and corruption so easily if they did not have the support of Pristina or even politicians who have been in Government for many years, Haxhiu said.

Justice Minister Albulen Haxhiu commenting on Kosova Prejs warnings that the list of sanctions could be expanded by other names, demanded that justice and security institutions not close their eyes to those cases, regardless of whether the same are politicians or even persons who have had high positions.

There are many statements that the list will expand, of course I have no authority to address this, because I am very important that our institutions do not close their eyes to these cases, regardless of the proper names of these people, whether they are politicians, whether they have the highest positions in Kosovo, because I am once again saying that it is the last time we have to prove that we have to be serious and we have the will to fight these case”, Haxhi told Kosova Prees.

Milan Radojicq, Zvonko and Zarko Veseljinovic, Srdjan Vulloviq, Zelko and Andrija Bojq and Radule Stevic all Serbs from Kosovo have been placed on the US Treasury Department's list of sanctions.