Suspects of arms smuggling, Mitrovica Court imposes detention measures for 8 arrested

The Constitutional Court in Mitrovica has assigned detention measures for one month to eight persons arrested the previous day, under suspicion of smuggling weapons.

On March 19th, security authorities held an action in 21 locations in South Mitrovica, Northern Mitrovica, Vushtrri, Skenderaj and Leposaviq, where they arrested 16 people and confiscated weapons and ammunition.

The hearing for the detention measure is held at noon Thursday at the Mitrovica Foundation Court, at the request of the prosecution.

The prosecution said that for suspects, B. H, I.P. and O. B, requires detention as they allegedly committed criminal acts “due to” and “import, export, supply, transport, production, exchange, mediation or unauthorized weapons or explosive material”.

Meanwhile, A.S., T. R, A.B., U.S., and NR are also suspected of the work involving import, export, unauthorized weapons production and sale.

Police say the 19 March action was conducted following several months' investigation.

Kosovo Police Deputy Director for the Northern Region Veton Elshani told Radio Free Europe on 19 March that among those arrested is a police official who has been suspended from work.

“polic has been temporarily suspended during the arrest, until the investigation is complete. If he's innocent, he'll be back to work”, he said.

The REL learned from its sources that the arrested police officer is from among the Serb community.

Security authorities have not provided details of which countries or in which states may have imported and exported the suspects.

Even earlier, Kosovo Police have found and confiscated weapons from time to time, especially in the northern part of the state, inhabited by Serb majority.