Albanians demand autonomy for the Presevo valley

"Albanians demand autonomy for the Presevo valley"; carried by Serbian news agency Beta

Presevo, 28 July: Three Albanian opposition political parties in southern Serbia - the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA), the Movement for Democratic Progress (PDP), and the Democratic Union of the (Presevo) Valley (DUD) - today adopted a political platform demanding territorial and political autonomy for the "Presevo Valley" with the right to unite with Kosovo.

The text of the platform adopted by the Consensual Council of Albanian parties from the "Presevo Valley", which was formed by the three parties on 15 May, says that "Presevo Valley should be organized as a specific autonomous region in keeping with the results of the 1992 referendum, when the Albanians from that region voted for territorial and political autonomy with the right to unite with Kosovo".

Consensual Council spokesman Orhan Rexhepi has told BETA that the platform will be sent to all the relevant international players, as well as the authorities in Kosovo and Serbia.

The text of the platform, on which the council worked for two months in Presevo, demands that representatives of the "Presevo Valley" be included in the negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo on the province's final status.

The Consensual Council will demand that the final status of Albanians be settled together with the final status of Kosovo, that the Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja region be defined as an autonomous region called "Presevo Valley", and that the region be demilitarized under the international community's supervision.

The platform also demands that the local police assume responsibility for the security of the region, that the Albanians from the region be exempt from recruitment and the military service, that the amnesty for the former fighters of the OVPMB (Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja, and Bujanovac) be respected, and that the Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja region be declared a tax free zone.

The text of the platform was signed by DPA leader Ragmi Mustafa, PDP leader Jonuz Musliu, and DUD leader Skender Destani.

The largest party of Albanians in southern Serbia, the Party for Democratic Action (PDD) of Riza Halimi, is not represented in the Consensual Council. According to Halimi, "Albanians in southern Serbia need a body like the National Council, rather than an insignificant body like the Consensual Council.

ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
Albanian terrorism in Kosovo and Metohija (K&M), as well as in the municipalities
of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, is linked to different types of
organized crime. It represents a permanent danger to the safety of the population
and political stability, not only in our country, but also in other countries
in the region.1 The strategists of these activities want to ensure the legalization
of their criminal activities and accumulated wealth and to enable the
establishment of Greater Albania or Greater Kosovo in order to complete the
territory they consider Albanian ethnic space and spread their internal market
and, in proportion to their economic power, secure the political influence and
participation in the top administrative state bodies on the territory. Support of
violence and permanent disruption of stability in the Balkans make it possible
for the scenario to be effectively implemented in practice.
Having established cooperation with the criminal organizations, the strategists
of terrorist activities have strengthened their political position which they use
for exerting pressure on the overall Albanian population as well as on autochthonous
Albanian political subjects, enforcing collaboration and concessions.
Thus, the public gets the impression of complete homogeneity of the Albanian
nationals and their unison endeavors toward a common objective. However,
interests of some criminal organizations are hidden behind the political, ideological
and national motives for the establishment of a unified Albanian state
(regardless of whether they call it Greater Albania or Greater Kosovo). They
tend to take part in the current processes of political and economic transition,
i.e. transformation of the region as a whole, and to legalize their criminal
operations.
1 Although the Albanian population of the municipality of Medvedja is not a majority, the Albanian extremists
treat it as a part of the unitary ethnic area.

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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
Albanians, particularly those from Kosovo and Metohija, have developed a
sense of collective identity which is a necessary prerequisite for organized
crime activities. This very element, based on the sense of belonging to a
defined group, has linked Albanian organized crime with pan-Albanian ideals,
politics, military activities and terrorism.
A relatively universal model of terrorist operations in the world - which is, as
a rule, usually funded from criminal sources (trafficking in drugs, arms and
people, as well as in excise goods) - was applied, at one time, by the leaders of
the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), and was taken over, and is applied now,
by the leaders of the Albanian National Army (ANA)2. In this way, unhindered
and permanent inflow of resources for criminal activities has been provided,
while the leaders of KLA and ANA, as well as the most vocal Albanian patriots,
have accumulated enormous personal wealth under the conditions of deep
and long-lasting socio-economic crisis prevailing in the region. This is an
additional impetus to the spreading of criminal activities in the region which
is, still, an inexhaustible source of the so-called dirty money which is the basis
for providing the continuity of terrorist activities and a permanent recruitment
of new fighters.
A characteristic of the common model of internal organization of Albanian
terrorist and criminal organizations is their compliance with the rule of territorial
division, with the recognition of the interest zones and influence of certain
families. Accordingly, in each of the groups, the basic membership is recruited
from the fis, that is, an extended family, or the clan that predominates on a
certain territory.3
Precise territorial and clan division of the greatest part of Albanian society
contributes to the preservation of traditional hierarchical structure, its distrust
of the outsiders and very strict inner discipline of the members which is still
maintained with the application of the common law of Leka Dugagjini or the
clan honor code. The threat of mandatory execution of blood feud (vendetta) in
cases of betrayal or dishonored agreement, provide for complete protection of
the perpetrators of terrorist activities and criminal acts and, at the same time,
is the most common cause for murder among the Albanian population.
At the time KLA was being founded, in the first half of 1993, organized
crime was not so prominent in this region. Primarily for the purpose of arming
the newly organized groups, members of KLA in the areas of Drenica
2 A terrorist organization founded in late 1999 which intensified armed activities in Macedonia, K&M and in
the south of Serbia in 2002.
3 Thus, for example, the Gecaj, Kodra, Jashari and Selimi families dominate in Drenica, so that the largest
number of KLA members in the region are the members of the said families.

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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
and Metohija established connections with their relatives, migrant workers in
Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Sweden and other countries, who had already
been involved in illicit activities, and established multiple channels for transporting
the arms and equipment, as well as financial resources for the needs
of K&M terrorists.
This way, a firm link of the key persons of Albanian terrorism and the leaders
of organized crime in the region with the highly criminalized and politically
manipulated Albanian diaspora, a very important factor in the operation of
the partnership between Albanian terrorism and criminal organizations, was
established.
At the same time, the sanctions imposed on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
by the international community and the trade blockade of the Republic of
Macedonia by Greece have switched drug trafficking from the routes connecting
Turkey with the Western European market to a new one, across the territory
of Albania and K&M. A part of the money earned in these illicit operations
was paid to some allegedly humanitarian funds that were actually used
to sponsor the activities of KLA members.
Of almost DM 900 million that reached Kosovo and Metohija in the between
1996 and 1999, nearly a half was the money earned in drug trafficking, which
made Interpol experts conclude (in December 2000) that the activities of fund
raising for Kosmet and KLA were used for laundering of illegally acquired
money.

KLA did not use the channels for illegal transportation of drugs only as a way
to ship heroin to Europe in order to earn enormous profits, but also to smuggle
arms to the Balkans. Drugs were directly traded for arms, or the arms were
purchased with the money earned from drug trafficking in Albania, B&H,
Croatia, Cyprus, Italy, Montenegro, Switzerland and Turkey.
In 1999, the Washington Times published a statement of American anti-drug
agents that KLA was linked with a wide network of organized crime, with the
headquarters in Albania. The documents they possess suggest that it was one
of the most powerful organizations for heroin trafficking in the world, and that
most of the profits generated from this illicit activity were channeled to the
procurement of arms for KLA.
The arrival of international forces to K&M resulted in the disintegration and
formal demilitarization of KLA, but the organization has not as yet discontinued
its activities. A part of the membership re-directed their activities to

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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
the political level, through the Democratic Party of Kosovo (DPK)4 and the
Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AFK)5, while about 10,000 troops were
included into the transformation of KLA into the Kosovo Protective Corps
(KPC) and the Kosovo Police Service (KPS). Since the revitalization of economic
activities as the only legal source of income for the population has not
been adequately conducted, a substantial number of terrorists have continued
to produce violence, actively pursuing their criminal activities.
The foundation of ANA, as a terrorist organization, was facilitated by the fact
that the organizational and the operational core was composed of the members
of former KLA determined to implement their previously set goals and
complete the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo and Metohija and other, allegedly
Albanian territories.
Also, ANA organization mimics the KLA model, uses the same methods of
operation, the same channels for smuggling weapons and even the same bank
accounts and, allegedly, humanitarian funds abroad by means of which they
provide significant funding for their activities.
It logically appears that the organized crime in K&M took over the structure
and infrastructure of KLA, developed and branched concomitantly with
Albanian terrorism and now represents a stable and expansive material and
financial base of the Albanian terrorist and separatist movement as a whole.
In June 2003, in his public statement for the media, Barry Fletcher, UNMIK
police spokesman for K&M, said that one of the greatest obstacles the UN
faced was the deeply rooted Albanian mafia that used nationalistic slogans of
Kosmet Albanians whenever it suited their needs.6
4 Most members of the party are former members and supporters of KLA. It has been led, from the beginning, by
Hashim Thaqi. It was founded on October 14th 1999 under the name of Party of Democratic Progress of Kosovo
and was renamed on May 20th 2000 before the local elections in K&M.
5 Founded on May 2nd 2000 in order to satisfy political ambitions of Ramush Haradinaj, one of the main
commanders of KLA.
6 „Whenever we arrest a gang leader, he wraps himself up into an Albanian flag and the streets become flooded
with demonstrations. This is not a society affected by organized crime, but a society founded on organized crime,“
said Fletcher.

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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
1. Continuity of terrorist organization of Albanian extremists
The pretensions of the so-called Government of the Republic of Kosovo presided
by Bujar Bukoshi, an asylum seeker in Germany, connected with the
establishment of a parallel system of Albanian administration in K&M resulted
in foundation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kosovo (AFRK).7
The formation was joined by officers of the former Yugoslav People‘s Army
(YPA) of Albanian extraction, all advocating separatism, who wanted to set up
a professional core of the Kosovo Army. The initiative failed and the leader of
the group, Ahmet Krasniqi, was murdered in 1997 in Tirana.8
Since the initiative for setting up the AFRK was raised by DPK, due to the
rivalry among the Albanian parties, members of these forces, although fully
professionally trained, failed to attain more important positions within the
KLA which the AFRK subsequently joined. However, the rivalry between the
members of these two organizations still exists.
KLA was founded by the most extreme members of the National Kosovo
Movement (NKM) and the Popular Movement for Kosovo Liberation
(PMKL), illegal organizations at the time, led by the members of so-called
Marxist-Leninist faction.9
The first KLA armed groups in the region of Drenica were led by Adem Jashari
of Donji Prekaz, and the membership was composed mainly of his close and
distant relatives, usually persons prone to violent behavior and petty crime.
Subsequently, they were joined by the former YPA officers and the Serbian
police officers of Albanian extraction who refused loyalty to the state and its
bodies, as well as participants in the armed conflicts in the regions of Croatia
and Bosnia & Herzegovina with combat experience.
7 This paramilitary formation was set up with the intention of representing the core of independent armed
forces of independent Kosovo.
8 The intelligence suggests that Xhavit Haliti, the current vice-president of the Kosovo Governments, one of
KLA founders and key person in developments of its logistics was the murder organizer. Supporters of Ibrhim
Rugova and Haliti are considered responsible for the murder of Tahir Zemaj, another AFRK commander, who
was shot in early January 2003.
9 In comparison with all other political parties in K&M, NKM is the only one with the so-called political
continuity, since it has grown out of the former leftist illegal organizations such as the Red Popular Front and
Popular Front for the Republic of Kosovo, founded during the seventies and eighties.
PMKL, however, was founded in 1993, as an illegal organization with the programmed objective to „fight
against Serbian intruders“.
Now, both NKM and PMKL are legal parties with representatives in the Kosovo Parliament although they
have never renounced their political radicalism, i.e., the support to the establishment of Greater Albania using
all available methods and means.

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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
In spite of the fact that the initial membership of the organization did not have
the necessary appeal to attract new members, KLA managed to become significantly
large. This is primarily due to the advocacy for secession of K&M
from the Republic of Serbia espoused by the leaders of the Albanian community
who, in the light of the distinguished patriarchal relations, have the
decisive influence on their compatriots. The terror enforced by the local terrorist
organizations over „indifferent“ part of the Albanian population had an
almost identical effect. Organized in so-called „troikas“, the extremists visited
the heads of the clans and threatened to liquidate some of those of who had
refused to send members to KLA units.10 Strengthening of KLA was substantially
helped by crime money and the support of Albanian diaspora.
In March 1999, the German police reported that the increase in the heroin trade
on the markets of Germany, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries pursued
by the Albanians coincided with the strengthening of KLA. It was concluded
that KLA had developed from a lightly armed peasant army consisting
of different age groups into a power with tens of thousands of troops armed
with rocket launchers, anti-armor weapons and AK-47 rifles.11
KLA troops were the largest during NATO bombing when they were 20,000
strong. The brigades were founded which operated, without any significant
coordination among them, in seven operational areas: Drenica, Patrick,
Dukadjin, Shalja, Lab, Nerodimlje and Karadak (maps 1, 2 and 3). The Central
Command was set up with the arrival of Agim Çheku to the position of the
chief of staff. At the same time, territorial rearrangement was conducted resulting
in disappearance of Nerodimlje as an area of operation.
Upon transformation of KLA, about 5,000 troops remained in the military
structures supervised by international forces, mainly in the ranks of KPC.12
Since KLA headquarters and almost full KLA command staff were taken over
by KPC, headed by Agim Çeku, it appears logical that the formation has maintained
the organizational and operational core of KLA (map 4).13 Engagement
of these people, former terrorists, who continued, within the legal institution,
10 It was possible to „buy out“ membership in KLA units by paying two to five thousand German marks to the local KLA commander, allegedly for the needs of the organization, although substantial part of these resources ended up in private pockets.
11 On March 24th 1999 The Times published an article entitled „Drug Money related to Kosovo Rebels“ by its correspondents from Bohn, Roger Boyes, and Eske Wright.
12 The formation was set up by the UN mission for K&M as „a service agency for emergency interventions“. To fill the positions of 3,052 active duty and 2,000 reserve duty troops, 17,348 former KLA members and 2,923 civilians applied.
13 The Albanian leadership at the time tried to prejudice the role of KPC with the introduction of the adjective mbrojtje with twofold meaning: protective and defensive, which is the reason why the international representatives insist on the English term (Kosovo Protection Corps), which is not equivocal.

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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
to be trained and advanced professionally , has made it possible for the KPC
to provide, through training and instructions, direct participation in the actions,
personnel and logistic support to subsequently developed Albanian terrorist
and already existing criminal organizations.
Soon after KPC had been set up, in the OSCE report of November 1999
evidences were presented proving that some criminal acts and abuse of the
population were committed by the members of KPC. This was subsequently
substantiated by the UN representatives in K&M who stated that they were
familiar with the facts of direct involvement of some KPC representatives in
the acts of terrorism committed in the region.14
In addition to the political motives, the formation of the Liberation Army of
Preševo, Medvedja and Bujanovac (LAPMB) and the National Liberation
Army (NLA) in charge of the initiation of armed conflicts in the south of
Serbia and western Macedonia in the late 1999 was also influenced by the
need of the Albanian terrorist leaders to channel the activities of a large number
of idle KLA members. In the stated organizations, the command was taken
over by persons from the local communities who had received KLA military
training and acquired the necessary experience.
In the middle of 2003, members of UN police in K&M came to the conclusion
that from November 2000 the activities of the Albanian extremist groups were
expanding to the south of Serbia and to western Macedonia where the territory
of K&M was used as the sanctuary and base for enforcing these destabilizing
operations.
The same, basically criminal mode of recruitment was used in the field, in
an effort to convince the people that the amount of their national-patriotism
corresponded to the number of the members. The criminal behavior of the
members was manifested in a forceful seizure of property from civilians, particularly
cargo vehicles and luxury cars, allegedly for the needs of the „liberation
struggle“.15
In the course of 2001, armed conflicts between Albanian terrorists and security
forces in the south of Serbia were intensified. They were planned and
were given logistic support by some members of KPC command, located in
14 „The Halifax Herald Limited“ of June 2nd 2003, by Scott Taylor.
15 In late January 2001, Bujanovac Internal Affairs Department pressed criminal charges for robbery and
armed robbery against Lirim Jakupi, aka „Nazi“, a member of LAPMV for Bujanovac, for his violent
behavior, robbery and blackmail of his well-off compatriots.

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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
Gnjilane.16 Also, some more members of KPC, engaged in the performance of
concrete terrorist actions, were identified among the LAPMB members.
Shefqet Musliu, up to then just a local criminal, was the LAPMB commander,
with headquarters in Dobrosin, while the regional headquarters was situated in
Char (commander Muhamet Xhemaili, aka Robeli) and Breznica (commander
Ridvan Çazimi, aka Leshi). Major concentrations of terrorists were also present
in Muhovac, Konèulj and regions of Veliki and Mali Trnovac.
The KPC regional command and operative system provided the complete
logistics for the activities of LAPMB and NLA. This was accomplished by
having the members of KPC on the territory of K&M, recruiting new members
for these organizations, training them and transfering them permanently to the
regions of crisis.
Although they were obliged to hand in all available arms to the KFOR forces,
KPC members retained a substantial part of the arsenal and left it to be used
by the LAPMB and NLA terrorists. These weapons found their way to the
illegal market of K&M thus additionally contributing to the intensification of
all forms of criminal activities in the region.
The LAPMB activities were mostly funded by illegal trade in cigarettes and
drugs in Greece, Macedonia, K&M and Montenegro assisted by several legally
registered companies in the region.17 A part of the proceeds was directed
to funding of several camps in K&M where terrorists were trained and used
for the procurement of modern arms and for paying the fees of professional
military instructors from some western countries.
Weapons and military equipment for LAPMB were supplied by the smuggling
of arms carried out by some members of the organization who did it for their
own profit although a part of the proceeds was set aside for the organization
itself. The said goods were brought in through illegal channels, but also via
border crossings with Albania and Macedonia, such as Djeneral Jankoviæ,
Jazince, Tchafa Prushit, Morina and Tropoja.
Some members of LAPMB bought arms from the members of KPC who have
established, together with former KLA members, their own channels for ille-
16 Among them also Shaqir Shaqiri, originally from Oraovica, near Preševo, who was at the time the deputy
commander of the 6th regional KPC territorial group, while Junuz Musliu of Bujanovac was the logistics
officer in the same zone. NLA activities in western Macedonia were organized by Daut Haradinaj who was
the commander of the 3rd regional KPC territorial group in 2001.
17 Some high ranking officials of the Democratic Party of Albanians in Macedonia are among the participants
in this chain.

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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
gal trade, over the territory of K&M.18 After LAPMB had been demilitarized,
some of the commanders organized illegal transport of a part of the arms to the
territory of Macedonia for the needs of NLA, whereby some of them generated
substantial profits for themselves.19
Immediately after the demilitarization of LAPMB, its members, pretending
to be the refugees from the south of Serbia in K&M, trying to avoid possible
criminal responsibility for their participation in terrorist attacks, established
the Liberation Army of East Kosovo (LAEK)20 in Gnjilane. Expectations that
this formation would continue the fight to annex Preševo, Bujanovac and
Medvedja to independent Kosovo, initiated by LAPMB, did not come true,
since this group has not, so far, recruited mass membership.21
After the official disbanding of KLA had been announced in October 1999,
activities of about 40 armed groups of Albanians (with 10 to 300 active members,
usually from the ranks of former KLA and individuals with criminal
background) were recorded in the territory of K&M in different intervals.
Most of these groups were set up upon the initiative or through direct engagement
of Rrustem Mustafa, aka commander Remi, Fatmir Humoli and some
KPC officers who operate under the supervision of Hashim Thaqi, Ramush
Haradinaj or the so called Albanian secret services established in K&M.22
The members of these groups focused their activities on intimidation of
Serbian population and ethnic cleansing of the territory of K&M, liquidation
of potential witnesses for possible Hague indictments against Albanian terrorists
and elimination of political opponents and their collaborators.
Activities of the groups called „Ideali“, „Skifteri“, „BIA“, „Kashtjela“, „Large
Eagles“, „Black Hand“, „Eagle‘s Eye“, „Black Eagles“, „Black Tigers“,
„Zjari“, „Akatana“, „Siguria Vendit“, „Homeland Security“, „National Flag“
etc. were particularly prominent.
18 In the heat of armed conflicts in the region of Bujanovac, from February through March 2001, Lirim
Jakupi procured modern arms (automatic rifles, machine guns, anti-tank RPGs, so-called „nitroglycerin
cannons“ etc. ) from Nuredin Lushtaku, commander of the 114th brigade (within the 2nd regional KPC
territorial group) for this organization.
19 Transport of arms via K&M territory to the Republic of Macedonia was organized by Mustafa Shaqiri,
aka commander Schpetim, who was the deputy commander of the General Staff.
20 The leadership consists of the same strategists of terrorist activities as those of LAPMB.
21 The same scenario and similar effects were seen in Macedonia where, after demilitarization of NLA, the
Ilirida Liberation Army was founded.
22 In the meantime, Rustem Mustafa was arrested by KFOR and by the decision of the International Panel of Judges of the Priština District Court sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment for the war crimes perpetrated in the region of Priština and Podujevo.

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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
2. Characteristics of ANA activities
In an effort to become the so-called umbrella organization of all Albanian terrorist
and separatist groups in the region, ANA intensified its armed activities
in 2003 which were accompanied by strong media coverage.
The organization was founded in late 1999, but became more prominent in the
second half of 2001.
In the course of disarmament of NLA in Macedonia, the membership of which
included also former members of KLA and LAPMB, the disarmament process
was undermined at the very beginning by a mass transfer of the members of
this organization to the ranks of the newly founded ANA without any administrative
procedure whatsoever, by simple change of the badge on the uniform.
In this way, Albanian terrorist continued their activities without any risk of
sanctions by the international community that had pronounced NLA a terrorist
organization, which was not the case with ANA.
ANA terrorists observe and monitor the movements and activities of the police
forces and the army, set up headquarters, supply weapons for their actions and
store them in special bases; they mobilize and train their members and provide
for their transport to the site of action as well as their withdrawal to the safe
territory.
From the organizational point of view, ANA is a military arm of a more comprehensive
political group called the Front for National Unity of Albanians
(FNUA) which also includes an intelligence service, called Albanian National
Security (ANS), and Albanian National Fund (ANF) as the central financial
body.23
FNUA was founded by the Revolutionary Party of Albanians of Tirana, whose
sister party in K&M is a highly extremist UNICOMB (the Party of National
Unity). Gafurr Adili, who uses an alias of Valdet Vardari, born in Kièevo,
Macedonia, is the FNUA president, while Idajet Beqiri, aka Alban Vjosa, who
is the political secretary of FNUA of Albania, was a member of the Central
Committee of the Labor Party, which was the only party in communist Albania
at the time. The leadership of FNUA also includes several people from Albania,
among them some academicians and public figures.
Following a territorial principle, ANA is organized into „divisions“ with command
centers. So-called „Adem Jashari“ division, with the seat in Gnjilane,
23 At the time of its foundation, the FNUA was called National Committee for the Liberation of Occupied
Territories (NCLOT). The name was changed in mid July 2002. ANS and ANF were founded in early 2003.
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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
has the mandate over the region of K&M and south of Serbia. In West
Macedonia, i.e. Ilirida, the „Skenderbeu“ division is active, with command
centers in Debar and Tetovo. Their commander uses an alias, Idriz Iljaku. The
„Mallesia“ division covers the region of the same name in Montenegro, with
the command center located in Ulcinj and directly linked to the headquarters
in Skadar, while „Çameria“ division is in charge of the activities in the south
Albania and in the north of Greece (map 5).
General Vigan Gradica is the ANA commander-in-chief, while Ekrem Asllani
is the chief of staff. ANA leaders, most of them re-activated commanders of
KLA, LAPMB and NLA, use the aliases of Ilir Vardari, Korab Hoxha and
Valon Flamuri. Some retired or former officers of the Albanian Army also
work for the ANA headquarters.24
Strategically and tactically, ANA prefers and pursues a guerilla style combat,
with rapid attacks on the military and police formations in the regions of
Preševo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, as well as on the territory of the Republic of
Macedonia, with combat participants retreating to their logistics base in Kosovo
and Metohija, operating with the participation of some members of KPC.
ANA arouses provocations and organizes attacks on the territory of K&M in
order to urge Serbs to move out and discourage their organized return. In the
foreseeable future, pursuant to the well-known scenario used in the south of
Serbia and Macedonia, this organization plans an expansion of armed conflicts
to the territory of Montenegro as well as to the north of Greece, with the final
objective of a unification of the territories they believe are historically theirs.
Operational forces of ANA in K&M and in the south of Serbia are composed
of about 650 terrorists, most of them situated in the region of Kosovska
Kamenica and Gnjilane where their permanent training camps are located.25
ANA members are equipped with light infantry weapons, hand-held rocket
launchers, light portable anti-aircraft defense systems and are trained in the
use of mines and explosives, as well as the electronic equipment.
Parts of the terrorist organization are distributed all over Europe, since ANA
has branches in many countries with the main task of raising the funds necessary
to finance their operations, through ANF, with the seat in Zurich.
Transactions take place on the Tirana – Debar – Priština route. Money is
collected from the diaspora to the accounts of Daut Zuri in Vienna and the
24 Isuf Sulaj, Hekuran Aslani, Idriz Smotaha, Spiro Butka and Genc Sefa who used to be high ranking officers
in KLA are now top leaders of ANA.
25 Estimates of the number of ANA troops by various analyses range from several dozens to 2-3 thousand
armed terrorists.
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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
Karavan company in Tirana, owned by a Saudi businessman Jashin Kadi. The
money from Saudi Arabia for the Karavan company is laundered in the construction
companies „Mak Albania“ and „Cement Albania“, owned by Abdul
Latif Sala. The money is, subsequently, paid in the „Dardania“ bank in Tirana,
owned by Bujar Bukoshi. Ismet Krueziu, arrested by international forces in
August 2002, used to transfer the money to K&M. His activities were connected
with „Jeta“, an Islamic non-governmental organization funded by the
Islamic Bank for Development in Tirana.
Procurement of arms and equipment for ANA is conducted by KPC, while
the purchase itself is effected through some companies registered in Europe.
Before his arrest, Daut Haradinaj, the former commander of „Dukadjin“ territorial
group, was the chief coordinator of these activities.
The action of mining the railroad bridge near Zveèan which was carried out
in April 2003, showed that a certain number of KPC members were engaged
in ANA.26 After the action, ANA was pronounced a terrorist organization by
Michael Steiner and its operations were banned on the territory of K&M.
The appearance of ANA members in the villages reminds one of the presence
of KLA members in 1996 and 1997 when they used intimidation and later
even liquidations to force Albanian population to join them in greater numbers.
Thus, in March 2003, members of ANA perpetrated a typical criminal
execution when they murdered Adem Ahmeti, from the village of Prekaze, the
Municipality of Srbica, and then attacked the family of Ramiz Fejzaj, from
the village of Radovac, the Municipality of Peæ, who was seriously wounded.
This action was preceded by a written warning sent to Fejzaj to be loyal to the
„national issue“ and stop all contacts with the Serbs.
ANA publicly proclaims its connections with organized crime, as illustrated
by the fact that after a bombing attack on the premises of the court in Struga,
in early spring 2003, this terrorist organization undertook the responsibility for
the attack stating it was a reaction to the arrest of two Albanian mafia bosses
in Macedonia.
26 According to some estimates, almost complete reserve forces of KPC, some 2,000 troops, are included in
ANA.
19
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
3. Data on the victims of violence in K&M
Violence in K&M is inspired by ethnic, political and economic motives. The
most numerous and the most savage in the execution were the attacks of the
Albanians on the Serbs and Montenegrins provoked by national hatred and carried
out for the purpose of ethnic cleansing. Obviously, a large number of these
crimes were premeditated and the investigation results frequently point to the
involvement of KLA, or ANA now. Nevertheless, very few perpetrators were discovered,
as substantiated in the reports of OECD representatives in Priština.27
From the time of the arrival of international forces to K&M through August
23rd 2003, Albanian terrorist perpetrated the total of 6,571 attacks, out of which
5,962 on Serbs in Montenegrins in Preševo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, 207 on
Albanians and 335 on people of other ethnic origins. In the same period, 1,206
persons were killed and, 1,319 civilians and 15 policemen were wounded. The
fate of 846 persons, out of 1,156 kidnapped persons, is not known.
In the attacks in 2003, Albanian terrorists carried out 338 terrorist attacks (299 on
the Serbs and Montenegrins, 34 on Albanians and 5 on people from other ethnic
groups), a Serb was kidnapped (and subsequently murdered) and two Albanians
(one managed to escape, while the whereabouts of the other are not known).
An increasing number of murdered Albanian nationals, witnesses or potential
witnesses against the accused members of KLA, is particularly frustrating.
The victims of these mafia-like crimes include Azem Musaj and Sadri Rexhaj,
while Ilir Berisha of Janjevo, Rexhep Kelmendi of Peæ, Sejdi Maloku of Obiliæ
and others were also victims of these attacks.
Between July 20th and 26th 2003, as a retaliation for the sentences passed on
a number of members of these groups of terrorists, explosive devices were
thrown or planted at several locations in Priština, Podujevo, southern part of
Kosovska Mitrovica, Lipljan, Kosovo Polje and other places. The targets of
these attacks, among others, were the homes of Ibrahim Rugova and Nexhat
Daci, leaders of DPK, whose prominent members have already been the targets
of retributions with political background.
The existing rivalry between AFRK as a formation of professional soldiers and
heterogeneous, criminalized KLA groups, i.e. ANA, as they call themselves now,
27 In mid 2003 the western media reported that, from June 1999, most terrorist attacks were those of the
Albanian extremists against the Serbs and members of other ethnic minorities. This has resulted in the
expulsion of almost 240,000 people from K&M, while the representatives of the minorities who had remained
in the Province were grouped and isolated in their enclaves.
20
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
is the underlying reason for a substantial number of the so-called political assassinations.
Also, prominent members of DPK usually fall victims of these attacks.28
28 KLA had DM 1.2 million at its disposal for the liquidations of DPK activists, RK Government and AFRK
commanders. The „Eagles“ group, with direct access to the Executive Command, was in charge of these
activities. In addition to Ahmet Isufi and Tahir Zemaj, who headed AFRK, Enver Maloku, the head of DPK
Information Center in Priština, Fehmi Agani, the DPK vice-president, Xhemail Mustafa, Information adviser
to Ibrahim Rugova, Besim Dujaku, a member of Rugova‘s security service, Sali Çekaj the chairman of DPK
German branch and a lot of other outstanding members in small towns were also killed.

21
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
4. Organized crime
- Criminal activities in K&M
The expansion of organized crime in K&M is a direct consequence of the
KLA terrorist activities, some of whose leaders have used their authority in
this organization to establish control over illegal trade in the areas under their
(para)military jurisdiction.29 Beside the drug trafficking, the organized criminal
groups from K&M are also engaged in the illegal trafficking of weapons,
cigarettes and other excise goods, stolen vehicles, together with the trafficking
of people and human organs trade.
Very common among the Albanian organized crime activities are racketeering,
blackmail and violence against both the members of the Albanian community
in K&M and the Albanian migrant workers abroad who are forced to pay the
so-called taxes to finance terrorist groups in this region.30 Intimidation and the
expulsion of the Serbs and other non-Albanian population from K&M also
appear to be an easy source of income as the sales of abandoned apartments
and other real-estate generate huge profits to some families. Former leaders of
KLA use some of the money made in this way to pay the arms suppliers and
to provide for the salaries of „meritorious“ soldiers and their families.
Confirming the fact that the Albanian criminals have also held the key roles in
the organized crime activities in many European countries, especially in connection
with the sale of drugs, the representatives of the Council of Europe
have stated, in their 2000 Report, that the organized crime in K&M is connected
with the former members of KLA and the criminals from the north of
Albania. The findings of European officials show that, beside the previously
described criminal activities, the trafficking in human beings, intimidation of
the members of the police and the judiciary and ethnically motivated violence
are also represented in K&M, where ethnic cleansing is considered a lucrative
business. Out of the 28 murders committed in January 2000, 25% are in connection
with organized crime, and a highly disturbing fact is that among the
perpetrators of the crimes, including those that are ethnically motivated, there
is a growing number of juveniles.31
29 In 2000, „International Police Review“ published an article about the connection between organized
crime and KLA in which it was stated that the members of KLA did not smuggle drugs, but were financially
dependent on the people who did, which „provided the criminals with an opportunity to influence an army of
30,000 armed troops who are in control of the postwar Kosovo“.
30 The funding of terrorist activities is also conducted through the Kosovo Fund (until 1999 known as the
Fund of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo), located in Germany. The money for the fund was
collected by a regular, often enforced 3% taxation imposed on the income of the Albanians working in West
European countries and also by voluntary donations.
31 These data are revealed in the Council of Europe report on the situation in K&M, for the January to April
2000 period. The same statements have been made by Max Edelbacher, the chief of the Security Bureau from
Vienna, after his visit to K&M in April 2000.
22
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
The representatives of the Council of Europe pointed to corruption and its
strong ties to organized crime, money laundering, economic criminal acts and
the inefficiency of the financial institutions and tax policy as the key issues
that troubled K&M. In addition to that, the courts are under-equipped, the
number of judges and prosecutors is still small, their salaries are inadequate to
maintain their independence, their safety cannot be guaranteed and therefore,
they are under great pressure, so they can work efficiently only in those cases
that are not connected with ethnic or political issues.
In 2000, the western media described K&M as „a gangsters paradise“, that is,
as a territory the western leaders ever more often perceive as a base for organized
crime, especially the drug trade.32
Most criminal activities in K&M are conducted by members of the family
clans („fis“) who control their respective territories. The clans are connected
and closely cooperate with similar criminal groups from other European countries,
especially from Turkey, Albania and Bulgaria, due to the fact that the
main smuggling routes run through these countries.
The family structure is characterized by a strong inner discipline, which is
achieved by a means of punishment for every deviation from the internal rules,
so that the fear should guarantee an unconditional loyalty to the clan, with the
provisions of the official laws considered to be secondary, not important and
non-binding. Due to the fact that the clans are based on the blood ties, which
is a factor that restricts the number of the clan members, the bonds between
them are very strong, which makes getting close to and infiltrating into them
almost impossible. Members of other ethnic groups can be accepted only to
execute certain one time or secondary jobs. Moreover, the Albanian mafia
families are organized in 3-4 or more levels, which enables them to preserve
the organizational action capability even in case some of its members or
groups is captured.
Most members of the criminal groups in K&M have been active in the ranks
of KLA and other Albanian terrorist organizations, where they have been
trained for the armed combat. Furthermore, they are known for the great flexibility
when making arrangements with other, similar organizations (be they
domestic or foreign), strong connections with local politicians and members of
certain government agencies (the Customs, KPC and KPS), and their readiness
32 On April 30th 2000, the Scottish paper „Sunday Herald“, in an article headlined „Kosovo – where the
police does not rule“, cited an unidentified member of the military intelligence service from the Bondsteel
base, who said that „the crime rate in Kosovo is the same as that in Los Angeles“. The author of the article
stated that this was an incredible fact because the population of K&M, numbering 2 million, is spread over the
territory which is half the size of Scotland.
23
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
and capability to perform complex operations across national borders due to
the fact that they have strong support of the Albanian emigration community
which is concentrated around different organizations and societies in Europe
and the USA.33
With regards to organized crime, the territory of K&M is divided into three
main spheres of interest: the regions of Drenica, Dukadjin and Lab where
criminal activity is controlled by certain leaders of the former KLA who are
now active in political structures, as well as by former close associates of KLA
who had financed its operations34(maps 6, 7 and 8).
The area of Drenica, located on the strategic routes which connect Montenegro
with Macedonia, through Prizren, Klina and Istok, towards Kosovska
Mitrovica, in the region of Shalja, is controlled by so-called Drenica group,
loyal to Hashim Thaqi. This group is mainly involved in arms trafficking,
dealing in stolen vehicles, in human beings, excise goods and, above all, cigarettes
and fuel. Through his family connections, Thaqi has direct control over
the local institutions through which he provides and secures an unhindered
performance of the said criminal activity. The Thaqi family has ties with the
Albanian, Macedonian, Bulgarian and Check mafia.
The territories of the Peæ, Deèani and Djakovica municipalities make the
Dukadjin zone, where the so-called Metohija group, led by Ramush Haradinaj,
is active. The Haradinaj family is mainly oriented toward the illegal trade of
weapons, drugs, excise goods and stolen cars, but also toward the racketeering
of the Albanian population in K&M. Smuggled goods are distributed in
Macedonia, in the south of Serbia, the Raška territory and in Montenegro
where it comes via the Peæ-Kula-Rožaje route. Taking into consideration the
close links between Ramush Haradinaj and the fighters of the former KLA,
who joined KPC and KPS after it had been demilitarized, Ramush Haradinaj
is in the position to have an indirect control over the border with these areas,
as well as over the criminal and terrorist activities in this area.
The group loyal to Rrustem Mustafa, aka „Remi“, one of the most influential
commanders of KLA and KPC, operates in the Lab area which is made up
of the territories of the Gnjilane, Vitina and Kaèanik municipalities35. This
clan is mainly oriented toward drug smuggling and is closely connected to the
Haradinaj family.
33 In their report for 2000, the representatives of the Council of Europe have voiced their concern over the
links between the former KLA and the KPS, that is, over the fact that KPS is hiring former policemen of
Albanian nationality who are generally believed to be corrupt.
34 Some clans were obliged to pay the terrorist organization ANA monthly payments amounting to Euro
100,000 for „protection“.
35 He was arrested by the multinational forces and received a long-term prison sentence. This provoked a
wave of protests by the former members of KLA.
24
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
In K&M there are also other families whose operations are oriented toward
illegal trade and smuggling and who conduct the described activities in cooperation
with, or under the supervision of, one of the listed chiefs – Thaqi,
Haradinaj or Mustafa.
The Lluca family is connected with the Albanian mafia and pursues the activity of
arms smuggling, of drugs and of excise goods (cigarettes, fuel). It operates under
the wing of Hashim Thaqi and Ramush Haradinaj and of the Albanian mafia.
The Selimi family, together with the Lluca family, controls the smuggling of
arms, drugs and vehicles in the Dukadjin area. Also they impose illegal taxation
on the Albanians and intimidate the political opponents of DPK. They are
connected with Hashim Thaqi.
The Kelmendi family has close ties with Ramush Haradinaj and controls the
smuggling of drugs and fuel, trafficking in people and money laundering in
the Peæ area.
The Elshani family operations are focused on the smuggling of arms and fuel. It
controls the Vitomirica area and is connected with Ekrem Lluca and Xhavit Haliti.
The Kitaj family is the leading criminal group which controls the area between
Klina and Istok. It is involved in the smuggling of stolen vehicles and the sales
of explosives in K&M.
The criminal clan of Suma operates in the area of Kaèanik. Besides racketeering
and blackmail, it is also involved in weapons and drugs smuggling from
Macedonia to K&M and vice versa. The members of the Suma clan are connected
with the group led by Rrustem Mustafa alias „Remi“ from Podujevo.
The Syla clan coordinates a chain of organized crime active in K&M and
Macedonia and is concentrated on illegal imports of weapons, ammunition and
other equipment.
The members of the Agushi family operate in the Klina area. They extort
money from the Albanians whom they force to buy up previously stolen
Serbian land and property in the previously mentioned Municipality and
blackmail potential buyers.
The Geci clan is active in the Peæ, Kosovska Mitrovica, Srbica and Priština
municipalities. It runs the smuggling of fuel and is cooperating with Xhavit
Haliti and the Selimi family.
25
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
The Babalija clan is operating in the area of Djakovica. In cooperation with
Ramush Haradinaj it deals in fuel smuggling from Albania as well as in drugs
trafficking (map 2).
Despite the fact that there has been a precise division of territory between the
clans in which each family controls a certain area and the criminal activity
within it, among some of the clans there is a rivalry whose origins lie in the
political differences between them and the attempts of the groups to acquire
more power in the respective region. Sometimes these clashes are so intense
that they take on the form of a blood feud (vendetta) in which all members
of the rival families are involved. A good example is the dispute between the
clans Musaj and Haradinaj. This feud, caused by political differences and an
attempt of the Musaj clan to take over the arms and narcotics trafficking business
from the Haradinaj clan, resulted in the murder of Sinan Musaj, and,
shortly afterwards, in the wounding of Ramush Haradinaj.36 The execution
of the members of the Kelmendi family by the Lluca clan shows the brutality
which is inherent to the conflicts between the warring mafia clans. In that
particular case, a woman was killed among others, what is not common in the
conflicts between different Albanian groups, including vendettas.
The illegal drug trade, carried out on the K&M territory, grew as a part of the
overall growth of the Balkan drug trafficking operations. This was a result of
the lack of strong government institutions (the police and the judiciary) that
would stop the infiltration and cut the drug routes, the existance of a legal
vacuum created in the period between the arrival of the multinational forces
and the establishment of a new legal system by the UNMIK administration, a
control of the borders, rugged terrain and the poor economy that, all together,
made the K&M an ideal place for the drug trade.
One of the channels through which drugs are transported from Turkey to Italy
and then to Western Europe goes through Tropoja and the ports of Durachio
and Valona in Albania.37 Certain amounts of heroin and cocaine are processed
in the Albanian laboratories and from there they are transported to the village
of Lužane, then to Muhovac and Veliki Trnovac in the south of Serbia, and to
Montenegro, that is, to Tuzi and Ulcinj, whence they are distributed all over
Europe. Unprocessed drugs from Albania end up in the region around Gnjilane
and Prizren where there are two large laboratories for the production of socalled
hard drugs (map 9).
36 Some of the Musaj family members from the village of Streoce, in the Deèani municipality, were also
members of AFRK.
37 The drug trafficking centers in Macedonia are Gostivar, Kumanovo and Skopje, where the local narcomafia
rented a whole floor at the Grand Hotel and made it its headquarters.
26
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
The transfer of drugs is conducted over the official border crossings such as
Djeneral Jankoviæ, Jazince, Qafa Prushit, Morina and Tropoja, thanks to the
cooperation between the criminal groups and the customs officials, and the
members of KPC and KPS. The arms which come from Albania are usually
sold on the black markets in Junik and Djakovica.38
Because of the geographical links between the regions of Kosovska Mitrovica
and Peæ with Serbia and Montenegro this area represents the main transit route
for illegal trafficking in cigarettes. One of the frequently used routes for this
activity follows the line: Northern Kosovska Mitrovica – the village of Brnjak,
Zubin Potok Municipality – lake Tabalije – the village of Starèevæ – Ribariæi
– Novi Pazar – Kraljevo – Kragujevac – Trstenik.39
38 The opinion of the UN intelligence office in Priština, the arms trade is as big a threat to European security
as is the heroin trade.
39 Beside the listed criminal activities, in K&M there is also a developed illegal trade in oil derivatives.
According to the Priština paper „Koha Ditore“ , which is printed in Albanian, some 100 tons of petrol are
smuggled from Montenegro to K&M.

27
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
- Activities of the Albanian mafia around the world
Up to the beginning of the armed conflicts in former Yugoslavia, most of the
European market and a smaller part of the USA market have been supplied
with narcotics smuggled via the so-called Balkan route. From the countries
of origin (Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan) and Turkey, where the raw materials
for the narcotics were processed, this road led through Greece, Bulgaria,
former Yugoslav republics (Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia), Romania, Hungary,
the Czech Republic and Slovakia, all the way to the final destinations in
Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and other Western European countries
(map 10).
When fighting erupted in this area, Albanian mafia created new routes for
the drug trafficking towards Western Europe, avoiding the conflict regions.
In that way, two new, alternative routes were created: the southern one going
from Turkey, through Bulgaria, Macedonia, K&M and Albania to Italy and
other Western European countries.40 The second, the northern one, goes from
Turkey, through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary to the Czech Republic,
Slovakia and the Western European nations 41 (map 11).
When the conflicts in Yugoslavia ended, the old Balkan route was re-established
all over again, but the new channels for smuggling the drugs did not
disappear and the smuggling network was greatly expanded.
All American agencies fighting against the drug trade estimate that, along with
the Turkish, the criminal groups of the Kosovo Albanians are the most important
drug smugglers in Europe.42 These groups have been described by experts
as extremely violent and involved, also, in the international arms trade, with
more and more substantial evidence of their criminal activity in the USA.
The fact that as early as the mid-80s members of the criminal groups were
highly organized and represented a serious threats to the representatives of the
judiciary who were prosecuting them testifies to the strength of the Albanian
mafia in the USA. At that time the American police stated that the members of
the Albanian mafia were involved in all kinds of criminal activities (extortions,
robberies, arms trafficking, shootings, running of illegal gambling operations
in certain parts of New York etc.)
40 Using this route, the journey from the country of origin to the end-user takes 7 to 10 days.
41 The Interpol data show that more than one ton of heroin and more than 10 tones of hashish are being seized
every year on the southern and northern Balkan routes.
42 In Germany, for example, the Albanians have completely ousted the Turkish and the Kurdish drug dealers.
In Slovakia and Hungary they control 90% of the drug trade, in Switzerland 70%, in Denmark 50%, and in
France 40% of the market. There has been a growth in the shipments of narcotics to Albanian criminals in
Greece, which are, as reported by the Greek police, six times larger than five years ago.
28
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
The main criminal activity of the Albanians in the USA was drug trafficking,
and the American experts for fighting this type of crime had even then issued
a warning that, in only a few years, these criminal groups could take over 25%
to 40% of American heroin market.
From the mid-90s, Albanian criminals from the USA were helping the activities
of KLA in K&M by raising funds to purchase the weapons needed by this
terrorist organization. At first, the fundraising was conducted secretly and later
a branch of the „Fatherland Calls“ (Zeri e atdheut) fund was also established in
the USA to channel financial support to the members of KLA through the bank
accounts in the USA and Canada and many other Western European countries.
In addition, money was being transferred directly through emigrants – couriers,
who came to K&M.
Together with the collection of the money, Albanian emigrants in the USA
organized shipments of humanitarian aid and weapons and sent volunteers to
joined the units of KLA in K&M.43
American intelligence sources warned of the possibility of the „Columbian
Syndrome“ developing in the Balkans which means that the Albanian mafia
could become strong enough to take over the control of one or more areas in
which the Albanian population is predominant. At the time it was noted that,
in the political arena, the effect was already accomplished by directing the
profits from the narco-terrorism to the local governments and political parties.
The Democratic Party of Albania (DPA - PDSh), in power at the time, was
suspected of tolerating and directly profiting from the drug trade and financing
secessionist political parties and other groups in K&M and Macedonia.
The Party for Democratic Prosperity (PDP - PPD) and other Albanian parties
from Macedonia, such as the ultra nationalist National Democratic Party (NDP
- PKD), together with the Albanian parties from K&M have been accused
of using „laundered“ money generated through narco-terrorism. In all three
cases, money made through crime was often disguised as emigrant donations,
with the estimate that the profit from narco-terrorism directed to the south of
the Balkans in 1993 had reached the sum of 1 billion dollars. The same sources
claimed that, in addition to the purchase of mafia „protection“, this money was
being used for achieving popularity among the people, through alleged patriotism,
but also for other criminal activities, above all for the purchase of guns.
On the continent of Europe, the Albanians from K&M hold more than 80%
of the heroine trade, their dealers are located in at least half the European
countries and they smuggle 4 to 6 tons of heroin monthly amounting to two
43 The „Atlantic“ brigade was formed within KLA of the volunteers from the USA.
29
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
billion US dollars a year. The Interpol data show that in 1999 the Albanian
mafia earned 38 million dollars from the drug trade, in 2001 fifty and in 2002
seventy million US dollars. The Interpol statistics also shows that during 1997
out of all arrested heroin smugglers, Albanians accounted for 14%, but that the
average amount of heroin found on non-Albanian dealers was 2 grams, while
the Albanians were found in the possession of 120 grams on the average.44
Profits of the Albanian drug lords reach the amount of one billion USD, with
the turnover in K&M amounting to USD 125 to 150 million, of which KPC
receives USD 25 million. Hashim Thaqi receives USD 5 million as his share.
Out of the total amount of drugs that enter the global market, as much as 65%
crosses the K&M territory, while 90% of the heroin distributed in the European
market is smuggled through this region.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recognized Albanians in K&M
as the second most important drug traffickers in the world market.
The French Geopolitical Drug Observatory published a report containing
evidence that the Albanian drug lords were crucial players in the widespread
operations called „drugs for weapons“, while several Albanian dealers arrested
in Western Europe confessed to have procured the arms for KLA in K&M.45
This kind of trade was also confirmed by the European Union, at the meeting
held in 1994 in Brussels.
German anti-drug agents underline the fact that Albanians have organized one of
the largest organizations for drug trafficking in Europe and that the profits generated
by the illicit trade are laundered in 200 private banks and exchange offices.
Representatives of the Italian police state that the Albanian mafia in the country,
due to their violence and numerous membership, has managed to suppress
Turkish drug traffickers and become a partner to several Italian mafia organizations,
including Cosa Nostra, Camora di Napoli, Ndrangheta di Calabria and
Sacra Corona Unita in the region of Puglia. Besides, the Albanian traffickers
have soon progressed from the status of couriers to that of the organizers of
contraband networks who, in their turn, now hire couriers from the ranks of
criminals of other nationalities.
44 The information published in the „National Post“ on April 13th 2000 where the author cited the Interpol
Report.
45 The statement that Albanians from K&M exchange drugs for arms was substantiated in numerous affairs.
In 1999 the Italian Court in Brindisi convicted an Albanian heroin dealer who confessed to having procured
arms for KLA from the mafia in exchange for the drugs. Besides, an Albanian in the Czech Republic placed
an order for light infantry weapons and rocket launchers. According to the sources in the Czech Police, the
arms were intended for KLA.
30
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
The seat of activities of Albanian drug lords is in Calabria, Italy, while Milan
is the main business center. The major lords of these organizations invest their
illegally acquired assets into beauty parlor chains and shops not only in Italy,
but also in Great Britain and other Western European countries.
In addition to the drug trafficking, Albanian criminals in Italy are also involved
in prostitution, racketeering, widely spread arms deals, as well as in the organization
of begging and pick pocketing for which, with permanent abuse and
intimidation, they use the children purchased from their parents in Albania at
the price of USD 1,000 per child.
In the Ticino canton, on the border between Italy and Switzerland, it is the
Albanians who are in total control of the smuggling of drugs and people.
In 1995, some 2,000 Albanians charged with drug trafficking were incarcerated
in the Swiss penitentiary institutions. According to the reports of the
Swiss police, the proceeds of the illicit trade were used for the procurement of
„Kalashnikovs“ (AK-47) and „Uzis“ (Israel-manufactured sub-machine guns)
in Bern and Berlin.
In March 1992, a representative of the Swedish Police Intelligence Service
confirmed that this Service believes there are connections between drug trafficking
and KLA. Based on an analysis conducted in 1998 by officials of the
Swedish and Norwegian Security Forces in relation to the heroin seized in the
last two years, it was evident that Albanians accounted for 80% of the drugs
traded, with the proceeds used for the procurement of arms for KLA.
In 1999 the Police in Bratislava and Budapest discovered warehouses for thousands
of kilos of heroin. Besides, larger quantities of pure cocaine were also
seized by the police from the Albanian traffickers.
In June 1998 over 50 Albanians from K&M were arrested in Spain, involved
in almost 1,000 robberies and laundering operations for the money obtained
from robberies on the territory of Germany. Several days later, a group of 70
Albanians was also arrested under suspicion of drug trafficking, money laundering,
robberies and possession of forged documents.
In 1998, a Greek representative in Interpol filed a report stating that Albanians
from K&M represented the main source of cocaine and heroin supply in illegal
markets of the world. Besides, in the course of 2000, Interpol received
information suggesting that in Macedonia, along the Macedonian-Greek
border, synthetic drugs were manufactured, while in Albania cannabis was
31
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
produced for the Greek market, with the Albanian criminals collaborating
with the Greek ones in the organization of the drug shipment to Greece.
In a joint action of Italian and Macedonian police, conducted in 1993 and
1994, a group of drug dealers was discovered in Skopje, when 42 kg of pure
heroin was seized. Also, it was stressed that this amount was only a small part
of the total quantity of heroin that Albanian smugglers ship via Macedonia.
In 2002, representatives of the Czech security forces announced that Albanian
organized crime had started their activities in the drug trade and trafficking
in human beings in this country in the early 90‘s. According to their reports,
Albanians from K&M were quick to establish contacts with the local politicians,
civil servants and police officials who, because of their meager wages, were
easily corrupted and provided them with the working and permanent residence
permits. Besides, Albanian started purchasing real estate along the borders with
Austria and Germany and establishing catering facilities some of which were
later transformed into brothels and also used, during armed conflicts in K&M,
as transit points for smuggling arms and ammunitions for KLA.
In 1995, representatives of the Czech police in Prague stated that the Albanians
had managed to make the Czech Republic one of the target destinations for
heroin trade and to flood the country with the drug. In March 1999, the Czech
police arrested one of the drug lords, Prince Dobroshi, who appeared to have
been present at the celebration organized in Prague on the occasion of an outstanding
award presented to Ibrahim Rugova. The search of Dobroshi‘s apartment
resulted in the discovery of papers confirming the procurement of the
arms for KLA.
In the trafficking in human beings, Albanians have a complete control over
the transfer via the Balkans to Greece, using the same routes used for drug
trafficking into the country. Albanian mafia has established strong connections
with Turkish, African and Italian criminals for all operations related to
illegal immigrants who are occasionally used as couriers for drug transport.
In addition to the Albanian nationals and the Albanians from K&M, migrants
from Turkey, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China and other countries are recruited for
the purpose.46 Albanian groups are mainly responsible for the shipment of
illegal immigrants from the Albanian coast, across the Adriatic Sea, to Italy.
They usually set off in Vljora, or from Durs or even Ulcinj, in the south of
Montenegro. In 1999 as many as 10,000 persons were smuggled into the EU
46 The criminal bosses from the ranks of K&M Albanians provided false Yugoslav passports for some of
Albanian nationals, in order to make it possible for them to seek asylum as political refugees from immigration
authorities in some Western European countries.
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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
countries via Albania. Smuggling illegal migrants is an important source of
revenue for Albanian criminal groups, although it cannot be compared with the
drug trafficking which, it is believed, earned them USD 50 million in 1999.47
At any moment about 4 million illegal immigrants are on the move. On a global
scale, the 1999 earnings of individuals and the trafficking networks was estimated
at USD 3 – 10 billion. Interpol has unequivocal indications on the involvement
of organized crime in each segment of the travel of illegal migrants.
Recently, Albanian have revived the trade in stolen cars and have re-established
the networks for their transport from Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the
Czech Republic and Poland to K&M, whence some of them are sent further.
According to Interpol reports, trafficking in women and enforced prostitution
have become important for the Albanian mafia in 1999 when thousands
of women left K&M and went to Albania because of armed conflicts in the
region. The Albanian prostitution networks increasingly involve women of
other nationalities, such as women from Romania, Moldova, the Russian
Federation, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries. The pimps usually
state that they originate from K&M in order to obtain the status of political
refugees although actually most of them come from Albania and not from
K&M. Some Albanians control these operations from abroad, where Belgium
is the seat of some of the bosses of this activity (map 12).
Representatives of the Council of Europe believe that the rise of prostitution
in K&M resulted, among other things, from the presence of a large number
of international troops and civilians in the region. According to the reports of
the International Organization for Migrations (IOM), thousands of women and
girls from Eastern Europe are taken by force and brought to K&M for sexual
exploitation and forced prostitution. Besides, trafficking in women takes place
within K&M as well as from it.
47 Migrations are not only the source of income, they also play an important role in the establishment of
networks in foreign countries, i.e. providing bridges with Albanian mafia abroad.
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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
- Influence of criminal factors from the Republic of Albania
Albania is the largest money laundering and drug trafficking center in the
Balkans. The proceeds generated from the drug trade were channeled through
the pyramidal savings schemes, the breakdown of which led to the drastic
political unrest in that country in 1997. The ensuing anarchy in the country
made it possible for the Albanian drug mafia to develop their operations to an
unprecedented level.
The link of terrorism and organized crime in K&M was established under the
strong influence of certain political factors in the Republic of Albania, suspected
of corruption and connections with criminal organizations. It is important
not to overlook the fact that KLA expansion coincided with the rule of Sali
Berisha who is believed to be „tolerant“ to drug trafficking, more so since DPA
maintains close links with Hashim Thaqi even now.
Groups dealing in organized crime in the Republic of Albania have a significant
influence on the decisions made by the government and by political parties.
In the town of Skadar and its surroundings, paramilitary organizations of
Albanian drug lords and arms dealers have better and more modern equipment
than the Albanian Army. Mafia groups frequently assist individuals to get to
power, but once they are at the position of power, they have to „pay the debt“,
so that mafia groups can control operations of the governmental bodies, primarily
the police, in order to maintain their privileged status.
In addition to the strongest and most dangerous mafia clan known as Kula,
which controls a part of the drug trade from Turkey and deals with trafficking
in arms and illegal immigrants to Italy, the Abazi family is also engaged in the
trafficking in drugs and arms, while the Borici clan works together with the
Italian criminal gangs engaged in illegal drug trade and in prostitution. The
Brokaj group, engaged in drug and arms trafficking, as well as in prostitution,
is particularly interesting since its membership is composed of former
Sigurimi Secret Service officials.
In this region several other organized groups are active, like: Halkaj, Kerkiku,
Caushi, Shehu, Kakami and Hasani.
Although the former communist regime in the Republic of Albania had also
expressed territorial pretensions, primarily toward the territory of K&M, the
military activities of KLA are openly supported by the Tirana government.
During that period, Albania was a logistics base for terrorists from K&M, as
well as a busy transit region for trafficking in arms, drugs and excise goods.
34
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
During the civil unrest in Albania in 1997, a large number of arms and ammunition
was taken out of the arsenals of the Albanian Army and shipped, for
the largest part, to Macedonia and K&M.48 The weapons originating from
Albania were usually sold at very low prices, at the black market of Junik and
Djakovica. Because of the easy accessibility of these weapons to the general
public, additional favorable conditions were created for both the escalation of
terrorism in this region and the development of all forms of crime, including
organized crime.49
After the termination of armed conflicts in K&M, as suggested by the officials
of the Albanian Ministry of the Interior, the most wanted criminals in their
country went to the territory of K&M in order to avoid arrest. Accordingly, a
large number of crimes perpetrated on the territory of K&M may be attributed
to the nationals of the Republic of Albania who are frequently in conflict with
the criminal gangs of K&M Albanians.
The conflict in Kosovo and Metohija and the problems with the refugees in
Albania, resulted in a large inflow of financial aid from the West. Albanian
organized crime, with their connections with the official regime in Albania,
greatly profited from these sources estimated at about USD 163 million.
5. The Role of Albanian Emigration
Albanian emigration in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Holland and the
USA operated via a number of illegal organizations of extremists recruiting
Albanians and sending them to K&M to join KLA, while some of them organized,
on the territory of their respective countries, the centers for military and
terrorist training of already recruited troops.
Albanian emigration in Switzerland, particularly the leading members of former
KLA and NKM, sponsored new activities of terrorist in the south of Serbia
and in Macedonia.
48 According to the Interpol sources, the data refer to about 38,000 pistols, 226,000 „Kalashnikovs“ (machine
guns), 25,000 automatic rifles, 2,400 anti-tank rocket launchers, 3,500,000 hand grenades, 3,600 tons of
explosives. Although organized crime groups were not, probably, controlling the situation, Interpol experts
have reasonable grounds to assume that they have profited greatly from this chaos, by acquiring large amounts
of weapons. In their opinion, before the breakdown of the financial pyramids, the sum of about USD 500
– 600 million was transferred to the accounts of Italian criminal organizations and their Albanian partners.
Subsequently, the funds were re-invested in western countries.
49 Suggesting the importance of the fight against organized crime in Albanian, in June 2002, Joseph
Limprecht, American Ambassador to Tirana, gave a statement to Radio Free Europe highlighting the necessity
for closing down the channels for trafficking in drugs, arms, women and children, since they could be used
by the terrorists.
35
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
Activities of Albanian emigration consists of collecting of the large amounts of
financial means necessary for the procurement of arms and equipment to the
terrorist groups. The moneys are collected in an organized manner, by direct
contributions, or by payments for alleged humanitarian needs of the Albanian
population.50 The deposited amounts are transferred, via selected banks or illegal
channels, to Albania and K&M and, in some cases, the money is carried by
„couriers“ which is described as the „home visit“
In the said countries, the members of Albanian emigration were exposed to
torture by the members of Albanian mafia to ensure enforced collaboration
and, in this way, support to terrorism in K&M, the south of Serbia and in
Macedonia.
Interpol reports suggest that a certain number of persons granted the status of
refugees from K&M in Western Europe or North America, were very carefully
selected by the Albanian mafia and directed to stay in the host country ready
to become, at some future date, the links with criminal activities.
The power of Albanian mafia is based on the obedience of the clans („fis“).
A group of clans, up to 20, makes a mafia line, headed by a political leader.
Albanian mafia is not a pyramid with a „godfather“ at the top, but a series of
pyramids with several „godfathers“.
Through the said humanitarian funds, the influential and financially powerful
Albanian mafia clans launder the money generated from drug trafficking
and other methods and activities of the mafia (blackmail, racketeering, extortion).
According to the Interpol data, KLA and other Albanian groups use a
sophisticated network of accounts and companies to forward the money where
necessary. In 1998 Germany froze two bank accounts belonging to the „United
Kosovo“ organization after they had discovered that an Albanian from K&M,
convicted for drug trafficking, deposited several hundreds of thousands of US
dollars to the account.
The best known institution for organized collection of money for the procurement
of arms and equipment for the terrorists in K&M is the „Fatherland
Calls“ fund founded in December 1993. It was registered in Germany, within
the Albanian Democratic Community. Leaders of NKM and later of KLA were
among the founding fathers. The fund has branches in 12 European countries
and in the USA. The collected assets were used partly for training, equipment,
50 At one time, all assets collected from the Albanian diaspora for the Tetovo University were re-directed
to cover the needs of armed actions of the terrorists of NLA. French analysts believe that these funds also
originate from drug trafficking.
36
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
arms and hiring of foreign mercenaries for KLA and partly for propaganda and
hiring of lobbyists and influential groups in the Western ruling circles.51
In 1998, the obvious links of the activities of the Fund with the sale of arms
in K&M made the governments of certain Western countries pass a decision
putting a temporary ban on its operation. Analytical investigations suggest
that Albanians in the diaspora transfer between USD 150 and 400 million to
K&M through this fund, as voluntary contributions, illegal income tax and the
proceeds from the drug deals.
In an effort to collect as much financial assets as possible from the Albanians
in the diaspora, FNUA opened branches of the Albanian National Fund in
most Western European cities, which fact pointed to their ambition to set up
an Albanian Bank of international reputation which would make it possible for
the capital of Albanian mafia to enter the regular financial transactions.
The role of the Albanian lobby is of enormous importance for Albanian terrorists
since their emigration is composed of 1.8 million Albanians worldwide.52
Rich and influential Albanians in the USA and Western European countries
tried, in addition to providing them with financial support, to present KLA as
a national movement, presenting their terrorist activities as liberation struggle
of the Albanian people in K&M, which they succeeded to a substantial degree.
In this respect, they made a stronghold with some western politicians and diplomats.
6. Pan-Islamic Factor
The presence of the radical Islamic factor on the territory of K&M has been
confirmed by an active participation of mujahedins in the armed conflicts in
Kosovo and Metohija within KLA formations, as well as by the activities of
various Islamic humanitarian organizations.
At the 16th Islamic Conference held in Pakistan, in October 1998, Albanian
separatism in K&M was defined as jihad and the Islamic world was called to
help with all available means this „fight for freedom on the occupied Muslim
territories“. Referring to jihad, the terrorist organization of Osama Bin Laden
51 A certain share of the fund was used for sponsoring parallel Albanian educational and medical services
organized in order to boycott completely the operation of the official state organizations in K&M.
52 In the year 2000, it was estimated that the Albanian diaspora had the following distribution: 500,000 in
Canada and the USA, 500,000 in Greece, 400,000 in Germany, 200,000 in Switzerland, 65,000 in Turkey,
40,000 in Sweden, 30,000 in Great Britain, 25,000 in Belgium, 20,000 in France.
37
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
announced terrorist attacks against the „infidels“, i.e. Great Britain, the USA,
France, Israel, Russia, India and Serbia.
The presence of the radical Islam in K&M is illustrated by the fact that in
1995 Osama Bin Laden visited Albania as a guest of Sali Berisha, who was the
President of Albania at the time, when bases for the logistic and financial support
to the Al Khaida organization were set up, with cells in K&M. In addition
to Bin Laden, the meeting was attended by Bashkim Gazideda, former head of
secret police of Albania, Hashim Thaqi and Ramush Haradinaj. On the occasion,
Bashkim Gazideda was elected into a group of Al Khaida leaders for the
region of Balkan.53
Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Security Commission, stated that
the USA had evidence on the connections of KLA with Osama Bin Laden, as
well as on the involvement of KLA members in illicit drug trade.
Intelligence circles in Albania confirm a strong presence of Bin Laden‘s
network in this country, as well as the existence of their plans for attack on
American citizens and facilities. The same sources have confirmed the presence
of four groups of „Jihad Warriors“ (from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algiers,
Tunisia and the Sudan) in Northern Albania and the participation of their
members in the conflicts in K&M, as parts of KLA forces.54
Fanatic Islamic fighters from Afghanistan, Algiers, Egypt, Chechnya, Iran
and other countries were included into the command structures of KLA in
K&M. In some instances, these radically oriented and highly professionally
trained persons set up their independent units for special operations and tactical
assignments. They participated directly in the taking of the territories and
the cleaning-up operations, in kidnapping civilians and members of the police
forces, in brutal tortures and murders. They were also hired as trainers for special
training of some KLA formations.
In 1998, the State Department placed KLA on the list of terrorist organizations,
substantiating it with the facts that KLA operations were sponsored by the proceeds
of international drug sale and the loans from Islamic countries and individuals,
among whom, apparently, was Osama Bin Laden himself. According
to the information supplied by Interpol, another link with Bin Laden is the fact
that Muhammed Al Zawahiri, a brother of Dr Yaman Al Zawahiri, the leader
53 On June 22nd 2001, referring to the statements of the leading representatives of the Macedonian Security
Forces, the Washington Times published an article entitled „Bin Laden‘s Special Envoys“ claiming that Osama
Bin Laden was one of the major NLA sponsors, and that up to that periods he had disbursed USD 6-7 million
for the needs of this organization.
54 Sunday Times, November 29th 1998.
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ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
of the organization of Egyptian Jihad and an ideologist of Al Khaida, was the
leader of an elite KLA unit in the conflict in K&M.55
In the region of Drenica, within KLA forces, in the period May through late
June 1998, a combined unit of mujahedins, called „Abu Bekir Sidik“ was
operating, under the command of Ekrem Avdi of Kosovska Mitrovica.
Activities of the „Abu Bekir Sidik“ unit, that is, the procurement and illegal
supply of arms were funded by organizations from Zenica (B&H) called
„Islamic Balkan Center“ and „Active Islamic Youth“ (AIY).56
The unit was comprised of 115 mujahedins, of whom about 40 were foreign
nationals (10 from Saudi Arabia, 2 from Egypt, 4 from Albania, 2 from
England and one from Ireland, Scotland each, while the rest were the citizens
of Macedonia and B&H).57
A large number of fighters in the „Abu Bekir Sadik“ of Albanian ethnic background
returned to their places of residence in K&M after the unit was disbanded,
while some tried to enter the territory of Albania. On the occasion, in
August 1998, the Security Forces of the Republic of Albania arrested Ekrem
Avdija, Shpend Kopriva and Nexhmedin Laush and, subsequently, other members
of the unit as well. Because of their terrorist activities, they were sentenced
to long-term imprisonment, but in 2001, the whole group was pardoned
under the pressure of international community.
Soon after his release form prison, Ekrem Avdija continued to lead the organization
named „Kosovo Islamic Bureau“ that has, over a period of time,
expanded the scope of its activities by setting up numerous branches in all
larger towns of Kosovo and Metohija. Soon after that, he re-activated a group
of mujahedins under the same name, „Abu Bekir Sidik“, with the seat in the
southern part of Kosovska Mitrovica.
55 A presentation before the USA Congress of Ralf Mutschke, the assistant director of Interpol Criminal
intelligence Administration on December 13th 2000. The topic was: The risk of spreading of organized crime,
drug trafficking and terrorism.
56 Abdulah Duhajman of Saudi Arabia is the founder and head of the (Islamic Balkan Center) in Zenica.
The Center was founded after the nongovernmental organization named „World Bureau for Islamic Call“
with the seat in Riyadh, sponsored by rich businessmen of Saudi Arabia. Activities of the „World Bureau
for Islamic Call“, also founded by the same Abdulah Duhajman, are directed at the propaganda and jihad
and the mobilization of Moslems for the jihad. In the course of armed conflicts in B&H, Duhajman was
actively participating in the battles within the unit called „El-Mujahid“. He is in touch with an Islamic terrorist
organization named „Muslim Brothers“, and there are some indications of his collaboration with Osama Bin
Laden (some, unconfirmed information suggest that Abdulah Duhajman may be an alias for Osama Bin Laden
himself).
57 The „Abu Bekir Sidik“ unit had automatic rifles of Yugoslav, Chinese and Russian manufacture; they also
had weapons with sniper scopes, as well as 40 mm grenade launchers, RPGs, light and heavy machine guns,
hand grenades and other weapons.
39
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
In addition to all this, the activities of NLA in Macedonia were supported by
direct participation of about 150 mujahedins from Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan,
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey, as well as from Albania, Macedonia and
K&M who had previously lived in some other Arabian countries where they
had been trained. The substantiating data were obtained at the time of the
arrest of Sedula Morati, a member of the „Ismet Jashari“ unit that operated in
the regions of Kumanovo and Lipkovo. The transfer of the mujahedins to the
territory of Macedonia was organized by Daut Haradinaj, in addition to others.
58
Under the pretext of humanitarian activities, the „Albanian-Haramain“ organization
with the seat in Prizren transports weapons illegally, participates in
the training and sponsoring terrorists and provides logistic support to Albanian
extremists in K&M and Macedonia. Most of the funds used to sponsor this
organization come from Saudi Arabia.
„The United Saudi Aid for Kosovo“ is an organization that provides arms
for ANA membership. Eleven members of this organization were arrested by
KFOR because of their connections with the international terrorist organization
known as Al Khaida.
„The Global Relief Foundation“ is a nongovernmental organization with the
fund of about one million US dollars, sponsored by Islamic countries. The
head of the K&M office and two other activists were arrested by KFOR under
suspicion of terrorist activities.59
Some representatives of the humanitarian organization „El-Yila“ represent the
main link between Islamic countries and terrorist in the south Serbia, K&M
and Macedonia and are engaged in the recruitment and transfer of terrorists to
K&M and the south of Serbia.
Abu Muhamed and Yamel Lamprani, aka „Abu Musab“, who was, during the
armed conflicts in Kosovo and Metohija, one of the trainers of „Abu Bekir
58 The British Sunday Times cited Albanian intelligence sources stating that the Bin Laden‘s network was set
up in Albania to make it possible for them to undertake actions in Europe. The service also estimates that some
terrorists have already infiltrated selected European countries using illegal migration channels.
Analysts also suggest that the region is important for Bin Laden and his followers because of the possibility
to establish control over the oil pipelines that will link Bulgaria with Albanian ports. In this way, it would be
possible for Bin Laden to control oil deliveries to the USA.
59 Early in 2001, the international nongovernmental organization „Amnesty International“ announced that in
one of KFOR actions two Iraqi nationals, Ahmad Said and Abdul Ragiz, were arrested, on suspicion of being
connected with international terrorist network of Al-Khaida.. They were representatives of the humanitarian
organization known as „Global Relief Foundation“. Speaking about this, George Robertson, Secretary General
of NATO, said that „the infiltration of Islamic terrorism is usually carried out through Islamic humanitarian
organizations“.
40
ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
Sidik“ unit, are the respective heads of branches of the humanitarian organization
„Igasa“ in Skopje and Zagreb. Both of them used to study at the University
of Belgrade and, in early nineties, were arrested as members of a religiousterrorist
organization named „Islamic Salvation Front“. This organization, in
collaboration with the Islamic resistance movement called „Hamas“, i.e. the
radical wing of the organization called „The Muslim Brothers“ gathered students
from the Sudan, Algiers, Palestine and Egypt.
The assignments and tasks that used to be carried out by a humanitarian organization
known as „Islamic Relief“ were taken over by two Islamic organizations
- „Humanitarian Islamic Foundation“ of Saudi Arabia and „Bin Laden‘s
Flowers“.60 Over a longer time period, the „Islamic Relief“ recruited Albanian
children without parents for suicidal terrorist actions. The recruitment of children
was carried out in the Lion Hotel in Uroševac situated close to the premises
of the organization. After the USA attacked Iraq substantial fall of activities
in the organization ensued.61
60 This is a newly founded, illegal organization where even the name itself suggests terrorist activities.
61 In March 2000, BBC reported that KFOR had searched the premises and offices of „Islamic relief“, since
American officials informed them that the organization might be linked with Bin Laden. The organization
decisively rejected such accusations.

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