UNMIK Police Briefing Notes
25 March, 2001

1. COMMISSIONER'S BIOGRAPHY

The biography of UNMIK Police Commissioner Stefan FELLER is now available and copies have been distributed. We expect to have an official photograph of him this week.

2. SMUGGLING

Increased vigilance against smuggling has led to several recent successes. On march 19th, UNMIK Police and KPS officers discovered a fuel tanker in the Kulina Pass, just inside Kosovo territory. It was loaded with 16 tonnes of fuel, which was being off-loaded to a number of waiting vehicles that would have thus avoided paying the required duty. The truck was seized and the driver was detained. The next night, officers examined a suspicious vehicle near the boundary and discovered pumps, generators, and hose. The purpose was to set up a pumping station to deliver fuel from Montenegro to Kosovo without paying the Customs duty.

3. MITROVICA

The relations between UNMIK Police and Serbian residents of Mitrovica
continue to improve as evidenced by increased reporting of normal crimes. For example, a K-Serbian male in Zvecan reported his car stolen on the 17th. Within 45 minutes, a patrol spotted the car, arrested the thief, and returned the vehicle to its owner. This was not a dramatic crime, but its sheer normalcy is in itself remarkable and indicative of the progress UNMIK Police have made in the area.

4. OVERVIEW

The past week in Kosovo has been remarkable for the lack of serious
crime, and the absence of any significant ethnically-motivated crimes. For example there were no murders recorded. The vast majority of crimes now being reported are of the kinds typical of any area: Thefts, burglaries, robberies, and assaults resulting from personal disputes. The criminal pattern for the past week would be considered quiet for by the standards of any agency responsible for policing a population of two million.