ACTION ON DISCONNECTING ELECTRIC POWER IN PCINJ DISTRICT

Vranje,Bujanovac,Presevo – Early yesterday morning, the action on disconnecting power supply to irregular payers and those who steal it was launched at 13 locations in the Pcinj district, while the police, too, took part in it, said the Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic in Vranje.

“The action is carried out indiscriminately, while we want to show that regardless of whether someone is a Serb, Albanian or a member of any other nation, he or she has to pay for electricity and must act lawfully, can’t smuggle drugs or possess illegal weapons," said Minister Stefanovic and pointed out that the payment of electricity was a state issue, not a national one.

He said that at the request of the Vranje-based Electric Power Distribution Company, the review of electricity users was completed at 18 locations and explained that the role of the police was to provide assistance to workers of the Electric Power Distribution Company in Vranje.

“No one shall be allowed to physically attack workers and threaten their safety because they came to do their job”, the Minister said, adding that "the point at issue isn’t an ethnic conflict, but a conflict between people who do their job and criminals”.

“We’ll stay in Veliki Trnovac today, too, and will cut power to those who don’t pay for it. And not only there, but everywhere else. Power is cut in Vranje, too, to the Serbs and Roma who don’t pay for it, so that we shall cut it to the Albanians as well”, said Minister Stefanovic.

According to him, it was noted that the Electric Power Distribution Company in Vranje and the Electric Power Industry of Serbia had been damaged by more than one million and 300 thousand dinars because of the stolen electricity.  

The Minister said that the police had found various modalities of theft and illegal use of electricity, as well as that the criminal charges, in a regular procedure, would be brought against the suspects. 

Minister Stefanovic said that in the area of Vladicin Han, Vranje, Presevo and Bujanovac, including the village of Veliki Trnovac, the measuring devices were inspected, and that out of the total number of the controlled spots, four were owned by business entities, while 14 were family households.

The Minister added that a further supply of electricity to those households had been stopped  and announced that the action would go on.

Minister Stefanovic said that as part of the action, a pistol with five bullets, which was  in  illegal possession, had been found the Presevo area,  as well as 26.06 grams of  narcotic drugs suspected to be heroin, which had been found in Bujanovac.  

At a press conference held after the visit to the Vranje Police Department, the Minister said that the Ministry was satisfied with “some” results of the Vranje Police Department and that “more results are expected in the next three months”. 

Minister Stefanovic said that the goal of the Department was “to reduce crime and stop the illegal trade in narcotics and tobacco, which would guarantee safety and security to the citizens of this area”.   

“It is well-known that the Police Department in Vranje operates in very difficult conditions that are proper for committing offenses”, Minister Stefanovic said, adding that there mustn’t be any corruption in the police and that “a greater collaboration with the citizens is required”.  

He promised to do his best so that the Vranje Police Department had more police officers, which would enable the department to be more efficient. 

Police Director Milorad Veljović, along with Minister Stefanovic, visited the Vranje Police Department. 

Source: Jugmedia, Jugpres and Coordination Body