SMUGGLERS LINKED TO THE KLA ARRESTED NEAR PRESEVO

10. May 2013.

Presevo- Members of the Border Police Directorate, in cooperation with the Criminal Police Directorate, arrested 12 individuals that had been smuggling narcotics and excise goods. Police members also found evidence of the association of the criminal group with members of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

Two of the arrested persons are from Presevo, six from Miratovac, one from Aleksinac and Lebane each and two from Vranje. They are all suspected of the organized smuggling of narcotics, the "Tramadol" drug and cigarettes, as well as of tobacco, textiles and weapons.

According to the sources close to the investigation, after a several months’ long police operation, it was was discovered that they were passing the goods from Macedonia to Kosovo, and then further on to central Serbia and Europe.

Among the arrested were the organizers of the group Alan Ademi from Miratovac and Gazmend Dzemaili from Presevo. They are known to the police from the previous period , when they were convicted for the same offenses.

Also arrested was Ismet Bilajli, who, as a member of the Border Police at the police station in Rujan, abused his official position and allowed smuggling across the border.

Various excise goods were seized in the operation, including one piece of firearms and dozens of mobile phones, which the group members used for communication among themselves

Also seized were a thermal imaging camera for observation at night, an album with photographs of members of the group and members of the KLA and the documentation explaining how the group operated.

"Also found were detailed records of how much each group member was paid for any work done," says a source close to the investigation. This shows how well the group was organized.

All the arrested persons were interrogated at the Regional Centre of the Border Police, which is situated close to the Serbian-Macedonian border, and they will be kept in custody for 48 hours at the most. Criminal charges will, thereupon, be pressed against them and they will be handed over to the competent Prosecutor's Office.

Source: Blic