Kosovo is free criminal zone Vecernje Novosti January 28, 2005 "If Kosovo becomes independent in June, Europe will get a new state hosting 80 percent of heroine trafficking, a state from which 20.000 prostitutes came on the streets of Italy, a state whose economy is fully based on international assistance and money of criminal organizations," Belgrade's daily Vecernji Novosti quotes extracts of report on Kosovo worked out by Italian intelligence agency.
Italian intelligence staffers have no doubt that Kosovo has turned into a zone of free criminality, where criminal gangs are closely connected with political elite, therefore, they enjoy a full immunity. Such immunity makes the fight against criminals almost impossible. Italian official representatives in the United Nations claim that Kosovo's mafia clans have started to eliminate Turkish mafia, thus enabling direct contacts with Afghan manufacturers of narcotic drugs. One of modalities for co-operation with Afghan mafiamen is joining in marriage of offspring of criminal gang bosses. The very example of creation of these ties is on of the most influential families - Shabani family. Shabani's daughters got married with heirs of Afghan king of opium. A number of heroin manufacturing plants were opened In Kosovo, as well as in Albanians populated areas in Macedonia. Along with heroine factories, there are caches where up to two tons of heroin can be stored. Furthermore, Kosovo is starting route of heroine smugglers. Some of them head to Italy through Adriatic Sea, others head to Central Europe via Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina. According to UN official data on fight against drugs trafficking, Kosovo's Albanians comprise 14 percent of arrested smugglers throughout the world. It is worth of mentioning that 1.000 Albanians make three per mill of world's population. Vercernje Novosti daily says that Washington has not yet opened its office in Pristina although it has offices in countries where a drug trafficking is at much lower level. The US State Department is well aware of Albanians' participation in narcotic drug business. According to military intelligence sources in NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR), 80 percent of gross income in the province is made by criminal activities. The sources have acknowledged that $1 billion donation from the international community, which were to promote economic growth in Kosovo, have ended somehow in hands of local leaders. http://news.serbianunity.net/bydate/2005/January_28/27.html?w=p Serbian News Network - SNN news@antic.org http://www.antic.org/
