Kosovo’s interior minister gets death threat after weapons bust in north

Following the mass seizure of weapons and ammunition from a house in the Serb-majority town of Zvecan, northern Kosovo, Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla reported he had been threatened by an ethnic Serb organisation.

On Tuesday, police seized an impressive arsenal, including automatic weapons, cartridges, hand grenades, and explosives. While no arrests have been made so far, police said investigations are ongoing in Zvecan and North Mitrovica.

“The Kosovo Police continues to be dedicated to maintaining order and public peace throughout the territory of Kosovo, particularly in its north… In the northern part of Kosovo, the situation is calm, stable, but delicate, taking into account the political developments that are taking place in the country,” Deputy Director for the Kosovo Police in the region, Veton Elshani, told the media.

Svecla issued his own statement later in the day, condemning the ongoing issue of arms smuggling and organised crime in the country’s north.

“For two decades, the north of Kosovo has lived in illegality, in an abnormal order, where criminal organisations and criminals financed by Belgrade found refuge. Smuggling, the illegal entrance of goods and arms into Kosovo, resulted in a concerning situation for our citizens in the north too, who faced with the power of the criminals lived under constant blackmail and pressure,” he said.

The minister added that over the last two years, Pristina has worked hard to reveal and block illegal smuggling routes from the country’s north.

“At the site, alongside the security institutions, were also present representatives of KFOR. The north, step after step, is heading toward normality. Law and order will not be threatened in any corner of the Republic,” said Svecla.

But on Wednesday, the minister announced he had received a death threat from a Serb group called Northern Brigade, declared a terrorist organisation by Pristina earlier this year.

The group wrote on Facebook that they would “personally punish” and “liquidate” him, adding, “Only the moment is waiting.”

Meanwhile, the issue of organised crime in the north of the country, continues.

Pristina has carried out multiple police operations in recent months to bust drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and cryptocurrency mining operations taking place in the mainly ethnic-Serb north.

Since Prime Minister Albin Kurti took power in March 2021, there have been over 450 police operations in the region, dismantling more than 31 criminal groups.

The European Commission’s 2022 Country Report on Kosovo notes that “The situation in the north of Kosovo remains challenging, in particular in terms of corruption, organised crime, and the conditions for freedom of expression.”

It continues that “fighting organised crime in the north of Kosovo continues to be challenging.”

A recent report from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime also noted that “Northern Kosovo is used as a buffer zone between Kosovo and Serbia for the smuggling of goods, medicines, cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.”

Not only does the region receive financial support from Serbia, Pristina and the EU, but it still struggles economically. They also report that corruption related to the local Serb party, Serbian List, and key figures within it continues to be an issue.

Belgrade has consistently condemned Pristina’s operations in the north against organised crime, calling it politically motivated and attacks on Serbs.

(Alice Taylor | EURACTIV.com)