****************************************** * UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN KOSOVO * * UNMIK Police MHQ, PRISTINA * * * * >> UNMIK Police PRESS UPDATE << * * * * 25. FEBRUARY. 2001 * * * * This update covers the 24-hour period * * concluded at Midnight 24. Feb. 2001. * * Prepared by Barry FLETCHER on 25/02/01 * ****************************************** >>>>>> MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS Pristina Region <> K-Albanian male pedestrian struck and killed by commercial truck. Gnjilane Region <> K-Serbians blocked a roadway and stoned passing K-Albanian vehicles. Prizren Region <> Unoccupied K-Serbian house set afire. Pec Region <> K-Albanian female arrested with cocaine prior to visit at Istok prison. Mitrovica Region <> Bosnian male abducted and released unharmed in robbery attempt. >>>>>> REGION PRISTINA >>> CRIMINAL INCIDENTS AUTO THEFT Pristina - 24/02 - 0200 hrs. A UN employee reported the theft of a white UN Nissan Terrano with registration # UNR-109 while it was parked at his residence during the night. Investigation continuing. ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF WEAPON Lebane Village, Pristina - 24/02 - 2130 hrs. A K-Albanian male was arrested after he was found with unknown type of explosive device by KFOR. The device was seized and his residence searched but nothing else was found. Investigation continuing. ABDUCTION Stimlje Village, Lipljan - 24/02 - 0840 hrs. A K-Albanian male reported that he saw a white vehicle with three unknown persons stop and abduct the driver of another vehicle at gunpoint. >>> OTHER INCIDENTS/EVENTS TRAFFIC FATALITY Pristina - 24/02 - 1910 hrs. A K-Albanian male pedestrian died of his injuries in hospital which he sustained after he was hit by a large commercial truck. The driver was arrested. Investigation continuing. ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING Magura Village, Lipljan - 24/02 - 1030 hrs. A K-Albanian female was accidentally shot in the stomach with a hunting rifle that was in a room were she was cleaning. She was taken to hospital and underwent surgery. Investigation continuing. EXPLOSION Pristina - 24/02 - 1715 hrs. A natural methane explosion in the sewer line, which blew off three sewer caps at different locations, occurred. No injury or damage to property was reported. >>>>>> REGION GNJILANE >>> CRIMINAL INCIDENTS EXPLOSION Vitina Town - 24/02 - 2025 hrs. An explosion of unknown origin occurred at a K-Serbian owned home. No injuries were reported. Investigation continuing. ARSON Pasjane Village, Gnjilane - 23/02 - 2300 hrs. Unknown suspect(s) set fire to a K-Serbian owned barn. Property damage was reported but no injuries. Investigation continuing. ASSAULT Ranilug Village, Kamenica - 23/02 - 1810 hrs. A K-Serbian female reported being assaulted by a K-Serbian male on 21/02 over humanitarian aid materials. The case was filed in court. ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF A WEAPON Dubrava Village, Kacanik - 23/02 - 2345 hrs. A K-Albanian male was found to be in possession of one pistol. The weapon was seized. DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED Urosevac Town - 23/02 - 1025 hrs. A K-Albanian male was arrested for driving while intoxicated. >>> OTHER INCIDENTS/EVENTS DEMONSTRATION Pasjane Village, Gnjilane - 24/02 - 1700 hrs. A crowd of approximately forty K-Serbians blocked the road in protest of recent incidents in the village. The crowd began to throw rocks at passing K-Albanian vehicles and was dispersed without further incident. UXO FOUND Urosevac Town - 24/02 - 1450 hrs. A K-Albanian male who found a grenade notified UNMIK Police. EOD safely disposed of the device. TRAFFIC ACCIDENT Liojza Village, Urosevac - 23/02 - 1745 hrs. A two-vehicle injury accident was reported in which both K-Albanian male drivers were injured. No report on the extent of injuries was received. >>>>>> REGION PRIZREN >>> CRIMINAL INCIDENTS BURGLARY Orahovac Town - 23/02. A K-Albanian male reported that unknown persons broke into his jewelry shop and stole a safe containing a large amount of gold items. Investigation continuing. ARSON Orahovac Town - 24/02 - 1930 hrs. Unknown persons set an unoccupied K-Serbian house on fire in the Serbian quarter of the town. Investigation continuing. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL Prizren - 24/02 - 0900 hrs. A K-Albanian male was arrested after he was found driving a vehicle while highly intoxicated with alcohol and for threatening an UNMIK Police Officer. >>> OTHER INCIDENTS/EVENTS TRAFFIC ACCIDENT Orahovac Town - 24/02 - 0100 hrs. A K-Albanian male sustained minor injuries when the vehicle he was driving overturned. He was taken to hospital and was later discharged after treatment. >>>>>> REGION PEC >>> CRIMINAL INCIDENTS ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF DRUGS Bubrava Prison, Istok - 24/02 -0930 hrs. A K-Albanian female was arrested after she was found in possession of 1 gram of pure cocaine and a needle during a search before being allowed to see an inmate at the prison. ATTEMPTED ABDUCTION Pec - 22/02 - 2100 hrs. A Serbian female reported that she had been threatened by two unknown males who attempted to abduct her. The victim was able to flee and spent the night in a church. The victim had no relative in Kosovo and was returned to the Montenegro border. Investigation continuing. THREATS/INTIMIDATION Pec - 23/02 - 1800 hrs. A K-Albanian female reported being threatened by three known K-Albanian males, one of whom was armed with a gun. Investigation continuing. THEFT Dakovica Town - 24/02 - 0015 hrs. A K-Albanian male reported that three male and two female suspects (ethnicity not reported) had stolen his AK-47 from his taxi. The suspects were later arrested but the weapon was not recovered. Investigation continuing. ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF A WEAPON <> Brikotc Village, Dakovica - 23/02 - 2030 hrs. While investigating a previous case the residence of a suspect K-Albanian male was searched which led to the recovery of one pistol, magazine and ammunition. The weapon was seized and the suspect arrested. <> Stanica Volujak Village, Klina - 23/02 - 2130 hrs. During the search of his vehicle, a K-Albanian male was found to be in possession of one pistol and ammunition. The weapon was seized and the suspect arrested. <> Sicevo Village, Klina - 23/02 - During a search of his residence, a K-Albanian male was found to be in possession of one pistol with two magazines and one automatic rifle with ammunition. The weapons were seized and the suspect arrested. <> Radulovac Village, Klina - 24/02 - 1300 hrs. Two hand made shotguns were located during a search operation conducted by UNMIK and KFOR personnel. The weapons were seized. >>> OTHER INCIDENTS/EVENTS UXO FOUND Lumbarda Village, Decani - 24/02 - 1100 hrs. A K-Albanian male reported having found an unexploded rocket in the forest. EOD responded and safely disposed of the device. >>>>>> REGION MITROVICA >>> CRIMINAL INCIDENTS ABDUCTION Malo Rudare Village, Mitrovica North - 24/02 - 1000 hrs. A Bosnian male who was transporting fabric was stopped by three suspects who forced him into their vehicle while one of the suspects stole his vehicle. The victim and his vehicle were later returned unharmed to the original scene. Investigation continuing. ASSAULT Stanovc-I-Eperm Village, Vucitrn - 24/02. A suspect's father assaulted an investigative team during his son's arrest. No other information was reported. ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF A WEAPON Mitrovica South - 24/02 - 10000 hrs. A K-Albanian male reported having been threatened with a gun by another K-Albanian male. A search of the suspect's residence revealed a hunting gun. The weapon was seized. >>> OTHER INCIDENTS/EVENTS FIRE Mitrovica South - 24/02 1415 hrs. A fire of undetermined origin was found at the office of the NGO "ADRA". No injuries were reported. Investigation continuing. >>>>>> BORDER POLICE <> PRISTINA AIRPORT FALSE PASSPORTS 23/02. Seven K-Albanians were found to be in possession of false passports, which were seized. <> DENERAL JANKOVIC FALSE PASSPORTS 23/02. Three K-Albanians were found to be in possession of false passports, which were seized. >>>>>> INCIDENT OVERVIEW ========================================================= MURDER/ATT. MURDER 0 SHOOTING/GUNFIRE 1 KIDNAPPING 1 BOMB THREATS 0 THREAT/INTIMIDATION 8 ILLEGAL WEAPONS 6 GRIEVOUS ASSAULT 0 UXO/MINE/GRENADE 2 SIMPLE ASSAULT 7 PEOPLE INJURED 0 RAPE 0 PEOPLE KILLED 0 ARSON 2 NEW MASS GRAVE SITE 0 EVICTION 0 MISSING PERSON 0 ROBBERY 1 DEAD BODIES 0 BURGLARY 1 TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS 30 THEFT 16 CURFEW VIOLATIONS 6 AUTO THEFT 6 ARRESTS 15 CRIMINAL DAMAGE 2 DETAINEES 389 LOOTING 0 >>>>>> PERSONNEL STRENGTH UNMIK POLICE KOSOVO POLICE SERVICE ============================================= IN THEATRE 4446 PRISTINA 1029 DEPLOYED 3478 GNJILANE 754 SPU 968 PRIZREN 472 IN TRAINING 91 PEC 481 MAIN HQ 296 MITROVICA 337 KPS 243 MHQ 19 IC 22 ACADEMY 553 PRISTINA 808 TOTAL 3645 PRIZREN 408 PEC 308 GNJILANE 425 MITROVICA 504 BORDER POLICE 239