Police Arrest Six Petrol Smugglers in Kosovo

Police from the EU's law and order mission, EULEX, arrested six suspects in connection to a drive against organized crime in the northern, Serb-run fragment of Kosovo.

The six are believed to include partners of the controversial Kosovo Serb businessman Zvonko Veselinovic.

The police operation, according to EULEX, is part of a major investigation into petrol smuggling from the Serb-run north of Kosovo to the country's southern municipalities.

One of the six arrested men was named as Mentor Beqiri.

“EULEX police and customs officers confiscated various material during the searches in several private and business premises, including fuel stations, all over Kosovo,” a statement said.

Tuesday’s search and arrest operations, EULEX explained, were in connection to a major investigation into “smuggling of goods, tax evasion, fraudulent evasion of import duty and money laundering”.

Last week, EULEX forces raided Veselinovic's home in the mainly Serb village of Doljane near Zvecan.

Veselinovic and his brother Zarko are wanted on nine charges, including the murder of a Kosovo Albanian police officer and an attack on UN and NATO personnel.

Last October, a New York Times article on smuggling in Kosovo referred to Veselinovic and  Mentor Beqiri as figures involved in this trade.