UNMIK Police Briefing Notes
22 April, 2002

1. PREVENTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

UNMIK Border Police at Pristina Airport continue to stem the flow of illegal immigrants through Kosovo.

Last Monday (April 15th), a plane from Istanbul arrived with 155 passengers, 134 of which were suspected to be illegal immigrants. They were refused entry into Kosovo and 112 were sent back on the same aircraft. The other 22 were detained at the airport pending return to Istanbul via another flight.

On Thursday (April 18th), another flight arrived from Istanbul with 80 passengers, 23 of which were suspected to be illegal immigrants. They were all sent back on the same aircraft, along with the 22 who had been held at the airport.

We believe the 157 people who were caught and refused entry last week had no intention of remaining here, but were using Kosovo as a stepping-stone while being trafficked into Western Europe.

2. SUSPECT IDENTIFIED IN NIGHTCLUB MURDER

A 38 year-old K-Albanian man died following a shooting incident at the Nairobi Club in Pristina. The shooting resulted from an argument that occurred inside the club at about 3:00 on Saturday morning. The cause of the argument is unclear but it led to the victim receiving gunshot wounds from which he later died.

A suspect has been identified in this case and police are searching for him.

END