Weapons Seized by EULEX in Northern Kosovo

Nicholas Hawton, the spokesman for EULEX, said that EULEX police, supported by the NATO peacekeeping force KFOR, had conducted searches in four houses. Two of the houses were in Zubin Potok, the other two were in Zupce village.

He said that no suspects had been found during the searches. “No arrests have been conducted,” Hawton told Balkan Insight.

He added that EULEX had seized several pieces of evidence, including weapons. “Evidence was found during the searches and there has been a seizure of number of weapons,” he said.

EULEX police officers are continuing to remain in the north so as to seize a vehicle which is considered to be part of the evidence, he added.

This effort was hindered by local residents, who blocked the road thus making an obstacle for the police to seize the vehicle, he explained.

According to a Beta news agency reporter from the scene, KFOR and EULEX forces entered the village of Zupce at around 05:00 CET and started searching local households for suspects.

Beta reported that local Serbs in the villages had been upset by this and had gathered near the place where barricades were set up following the imposition of a trade ban last month. They were reported as saying that it would depend on international forces’ actions whether the road would once again be blocked.

Zumberi was shot in the head near the Brnjak checkpoint after the authorities in Pristina sent special police units to enforce a trade ban at the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings.