Prishtina, 24th of June 2023

On 24th of June 2023, the minister of Internal Affairs, z. Xhelal Sveçla, together with the General Director of Kosovo Police, Colonel Gazmend Hoxha, held a conference for media, where they spoke on the successful operation of Kosovo Police in Zveqan conducted on 23.06.2023, where they confiscated an arsenal of weapons from a car with Belgrade license plates.

The following are the speeches of the Minister of Internal Affairs, z. Xhelal Sveçla and the General Director of KP Colonel Gazmend Hoxha.

Speech of the minister:

Honored Director Mr. Hoxha,

Honored representatives from the media,

Dear citizens,

Since the post-war period, the Republic of Kosovo continued facing the aggression from the official Belgrade. Especially recently, their extended hand has intensified terrorist attacks against the Kosovo Police, their cars and police stations, attacks against KFOR members and journalists, and even brutality against our citizens in the north of the country. As we have already witnessed, the situation has deteriorated reaching to the peak after the aggression of Serbia, in which case 3 members of the Kosovo Police were kidnapped on June 14.

Based on these acts against the law, we have intensified our work to ensure peace and a safe environment for all citizens, in order to prevent attempts for escalating the situation and undermine the order, security and sovereignty of our country.

There have been made numerous arrests, handcuffing criminals who in the past have been tolerated and amnestied for similar offenses. The very same have also attacked journalists and KFOR, and for years have threatened and blackmailed our citizens, especially the Serbian community.

The rule of law is a priority for us. We are acting in accordance with the law. The sovereignty of the Republic of Kosovo is inviolable. Therefore the arrests are happening, because we can’t back down from the criminals, and we remain committed to solving all the attacks and keeping all the citizens safe.

We will not stop our common commitment to legality, constitutionality and legality in every corner of the country. Moreover, yesterday, the professional actions and serious work of the Kosovo Police and the KIA, avoided a planned terrorist attack on the Republic of Kosovo.

Dear citizens,

As you have been informed officially, a car with Belgrade license plates was identified last night, about 100m from the Municipality of Zveçan, in which large quantities of weapons, explosive devices and various ammunition were discovered, including Zolla, Osa, explosives , automatic weapons, significant amount of ammunition, stun grenades, military uniforms and bags.

Just as you can see them exhibited here, there are signs with the symbols of the illegal criminal and terrorist formation “Northern Brigade”, distinctive signs of Russian units, radios identical to those of Aleksandër Filipovic (former chief of operations in the regional directorate of the north) which have been found in his illegal office within the facility of the Municipality of Leposaviq. Equipment of the criminal and terrorist formation “Civil Defense” which serve to cause riots and terrorist attacks.

These equipment were intended to carry out terrorist attacks against the citizens and institutions of the Republic of Kosovo. This is yet another evidence that the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, through such groups and organizations, intends to destabilize our country.

This case confirms the information received by the security institutions of the Republic of Kosovo that during the last weeks, cars and other vehicles with military weapons were brought into Kosovo from the territory of Serbia.

Dear journalists,

The vehicle you see here, with Belgrade license plates, involved in this case has been registered as the property of a public state enterprise of Serbia. Precisely “Serbian Railway Joint Stock Company”.

It is more than clear who is behind the terrorist attacks and attempts within our country.

Therefore, here among these evidences you find the car of the Serbian state institutions, radios of Serbian officials in Kosovo, symbols of Russia and the terrorist organization “Severna Brigada”. The picture is clearer than ever. The hand grenades are Serbian production of 2021, there is already evidence that the same type was used in the case when KFOR soldiers were injured on May 29 in Zvecan. The fact that they were produced this year shows that this arsenal of weapons is not left over from the 98-99 war, but was brought from Serbia, directly from the Serbian army.

The level of violence and criminality from Serbia is increasing. Criminal gangs have turned into terrorist organizations. But we will not allow them to succeed.

We call on the official Belgrade to withdraw from these criminal and already terrorist acts and to stop the attempts and the desire to escalate the situation in our country.

Also we call the international factor, to react strongly to these events and to condemn the violent and terrorist behavior of Serbia towards Kosovo.

We call on the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, of all ethnicities, to continue to be informed by the official communication channels of state institutions and not to fall prey to any misinformation.

We will not stop working in the service of all citizens and fighting with the criminal and terrorist groups of Serbia. The destabilization and violence they are seeking and inciting will not pass.

Likewise, I will request from the Government of Kosovo that organizations such as Civil Defense and Severna Brigade be declared terrorist organizations.

Director’s speech:

Honored Minister Sveçla,

Honored representatives of media,

Honored citizens,

After an intensive work by the Kosovo Police (KP) and the intelligence services, information has been obtained that illegal structures and criminal groups in the north of the country have deposited a large amount of weapons in Zveçan, with the aim of using them for terrorist attacks towards the citizens and institutions of Kosovo as well as the security forces operating in the north of the country, including KFOR.

On 23.06.2023 at about 20:03, KP conducted a control of the vehicle Audi A6 with plates BG-955-JW, where a significant amount of explosive devices, heavy combat weapons and other military equipment was discovered. The vehicle was parked between collective housing buildings in the str. Obiliqi, Colonia neighborhood, Zveçan.

Security measures were immediately taken by members of the KP for the safety of citizens in that area, since this large amount of weapons and explosives posed an extraordinary danger to the residents of that neighborhood.

The police have undertaken all operational and investigative actions to clarify the circumstances of this case and came to the information that the vehicle has been parked for a while in that location, being a permanent danger and with catastrophic consequences for the residents, citizens who have frequented that area.

At the scene, apart from KP units, Forensics, IEDD (unit for handling explosive devices -KP) the members of the EOD of KFOR also participated, who carried out the examination of the scene.

The examination of the scene was carried out after midnight around 00:33, seizing the Audi A6 vehicle with license plates BG-955-JW, as well as the items found in the vehicle, such as;

 9 Zolla;

 2 Launchers;

 2 Osas;

 1 Mortar shell;

 21 Hand grenades;

 20 Trombone shells;

 2 Powder fillers;

 10 long automatic weapons;

 1 Revolver;

 1 weapon silencer;

 51 Magazines of long weapons;

 5 Magazine of short weapons;

 5756 Cartridges of different caliber;

 18 Molotov cocktails;

 17 Pyrotechnic tools;

 14 Smoking devices;

 5 Military Knives;

 11 bulletproof vests and tactical vests;

 9 Military Uniforms;

 1 Pair of Binoculars;

 2 cotton masks for the head;

 1 Mask against poisons and gases;

 1 military mattress (for the sniper);

 19 Emblems of the Severna Brigade

 1 Airline phone with SIM card and number;

 3 Radio connections, fillers of radio connections;

 As well as a quantity of Narcotics.

 1 Audi A6 vehicle with license plate BG-955-JW

The vast majority of weapons and explosive devices are manufactured in Serbia and the former Yugoslavia.

It is worth noting that from the total of seized grenades, 15 of them were produced in 2021 and from the preliminary examination of explosives experts, there is a reasonable suspicion that the same type of grenades was used during the attack on KFOR on 29.05. 2023 in the violent protest in Zveçan.

The Anti-Terrorism Directorate is handling the case in full coordination with the Special Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Kosovo.

The case remains under investigation for the criminal offences:

• “Attack against the constitutional order of the Republic of Kosovo” Article 114, related to

• “Serious offenses against the constitutional order and security of the Republic of Kosovo” Article 126, related to,

• “Association for anti-constitutional activity” Article 127, related to,

• “Preparation of terrorist acts or criminal acts against the constitutional order and security of the Republic of Kosovo” Article 138, related to,

• “Unauthorized ownership, control or possession of weapons” article 366, related to,

• Article 28 of the KPRK, as well as

• “Unauthorized possession of narcotics, psychotropic substances or analogue” article 269 of the CCRK.

Attention:

Also during the control, the emblems of the so-called Severna BRIGADA were found, we inform you that since 2022 in the four Northern Municipalities (North Mitrovica, Zveçan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok) there were shown threatening graffiti of the Illegal organization, “Severna BRIGADA”, which operates within illegal structures in the four municipalities in the north of the country.