Kosovo: Romanian Gendarmes Sent Home

EULEX, the EU rule of law misson in Kosovo, was informed on Thursday night by the Romanian authorities that the 16 gendarmes had had their mission in Kosovo terminated.

According to a statement from EULEX this was because of the ‘seriousness’ of the incident and ‘in order to allow the continuation of the investigation into the incident’.

The statement added: “The appropriate measures will be taken in accordance with the existing rules and procedures.”

Macedonian customs officers at the Blace border crossing with Kosovo on Tuesday night stopped a bus with Romanian number plates, driven by a Romanian driver and carrying the 16 Romanian staff.

They found 314 cartons of cigarettes stashed in the boot and in the passengers’ travel bags.

Some 133 litres of alcoholic drinks, including whisky, cognac, tequila and vodka, were also found.

EULEX’s mission includes mentoring, monitoring and advising Kosovo’s customs staff. The mission has launched an internal invesigation into the issue.

The authorities determined that 178 cartons of cigarettes were the property of the bus driver while the rest of the cigarettes and the alcohol belonged to the passengers.

The goods have been temporarily seized and the driver and passengers fined.

The Romanian gendarmes were returning home to Romania from Kosovo when they were stopped.