"Plan to abduct Kosovo Serbs thwarted"

An armed group of Albanians planned to kidnap Serbs from Kosovo and trade them for the release of members of the so-called Gnjilane Group, writes daily Blic. According to the daily, Serbian and EULEX investigative authorities are looking into this plot. "Plan to abduct Kosovo Serbs thwarted" “The abduction plans were uncovered at their conception, when their execution was being considered. The investigative organs are familiar with all those who were planning the kidnap, so there was no chance of their actions going unnoticed,” Blic was told by a source close to the investigation. The same source stated that a meeting between Serbian and EULEX representatives was due to take place to discuss operative cooperation, at which the protection of all involved in the Gnjilane Group case would come under scrutiny. According to Blic, the Serbian authorities have long been monitoring the situation in and around Gnjilane, where the Kosovo Liberation Army’s Gnjilane Group is based. “A large number of group members have crossed into the province from central Serbia since the arrest of the nine suspects. Since then, there have been a number of attacks on Serbs around Gnjilane, particularly in the villages of Silovo and Gornji Livoc. The goal of those actions is presumed to have been witness intimidation,” said Blic’s source. The nine members of the group were arrested on December 26, 2008, on suspicion of the murder of at least 51 Serb civilians and the abduction of 159 people in Gnjilane from June 12 to October 1999.

"Plan to abduct Kosovo Serbs thwarted"

“The abduction plans were uncovered at their conception, when their execution was being considered. The investigative organs are familiar with all those who were planning the kidnap, so there was no chance of their actions going unnoticed,” Blic was told by a source close to the investigation.

The same source stated that a meeting between Serbian and EULEX representatives was due to take place to discuss operative cooperation, at which the protection of all involved in the Gnjilane Group case would come under scrutiny.

According to Blic, the Serbian authorities have long been monitoring the situation in and around Gnjilane, where the Kosovo Liberation Army’s Gnjilane Group is based.

“A large number of group members have crossed into the province from central Serbia since the arrest of the nine suspects. Since then, there have been a number of attacks on Serbs around Gnjilane, particularly in the villages of Šilovo and Gornji Livoč. The goal of those actions is presumed to have been witness intimidation,” said Blic’s source.

The nine members of the group were arrested on December 26, 2008, on suspicion of the murder of at least 51 Serb civilians and the abduction of 159 people in Gnjilane from June 12 to October 1999.