Daily: Serbs’ organs sold in Europe, U.S.

There were 37 Serbs in a prison in Tirana who were taken to a private property of then Albanian President Sali Berisha, a witness told daily Vecernje novosti. The woman, identified as Lj.K., told the daily about what she saw at the time she visited prisons while looking for Serbs kidnapped from Kosovo. Daily: Serbs’ organs sold in Europe, U.S. Aside from the central prison in Tirana, she also visited detention camps in Durres, Vlore and so-called Yellow House in Kukes, where KLA leaders used to meet. “While I was searching for the kidnapped Serbs I went to Albania for the first time in December of 1999, under special circumstances that opened the highest Albanian officials’ door. In order to gather as much information as I could about the kidnapped Serbs I kept coming to this county in order to ‘visit’ all the camps that Serbs were detained in,” the 50-year-old was quoted as saying. She paid significant amounts of money for every piece of information. Her first destination was the central prison in Tirana which she said she managed to enter with the help of a local inspector who was a child of a mixed, Serbian-Albanian marriage. “There were 37 Serbs kidnapped from Kosovo and Metohija in this prison. They were placed in several larger rooms. Even though it was winter, some of them were half-barefoot, poorly dressed and visibly exhausted,” she stressed, adding that the Serbs had been taken to a private, ranch-like property on the city’s outskirts owned by then Albanian President Sali Berisha. The state-of-the-art hospital was located at the ranch and the victims' organs were removed there. The daily’s source said the woman had tried to talk to the imprisoned Serbs. “They remained silent to all my questions. Fear and distrust were present among them. They were probably sedated too,” Lj. K. was quoted as saying. She claims that she recognized a doctor from Pristina, identifying his surname as Petkovic, Goran Stolic from Prizren and Milorad Avramovic from Istok. Her next stop on the "journey of truth", the daily says, was a yellow house near Kukes, which gave the informal name to the Kosovo organ trafficking case. She found 12 kidnapped Serbs there. “Aside from removing organs from the kidnapped Serbs, the KLA leadership used to meet with then Albanian officials in this house and they planned development of criminal activities, from organ trafficking to weapons and drugs,” Lj. K. explained and added that a team of surgeons had been making decisions about the removal of organs. Hearts, bone marrow, corneas, kidneys and livers were removed from the kidnapped victims. “I learned from a friend, who was close to the KLA leaders, that some of the money received from this bloody sale ended up as bribe for high international officials (in Kosovo),” she stressed. She also visited a hospital in the town of Vlore where organs were removed from detained Serbs and Roma. There were also foreign nationals among the victims, primarily young women from Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria who had been tricked into coming to Albania. Lj. K. also witnessed horrible scenes in the city of Durres. The kidnapped people were kept in a stall and prisoners’ screams could be heard at night, the daily reports. She claims that the Albanians transported the removed organs in special portable refrigerators by private helicopters. The organs were then sold in European and U.S. black markets. Each organ had its predefined price and so-called Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, leaders were taking the money.

Daily: Serbs’ organs sold in Europe, U.S.

Aside from the central prison in Tirana, she also visited detention camps in Durres, Vlore and so-called Yellow House in Kukes, where KLA leaders used to meet.

“While I was searching for the kidnapped Serbs I went to Albania for the first time in December of 1999, under special circumstances that opened the highest Albanian officials’ door. In order to gather as much information as I could about the kidnapped Serbs I kept coming to this county in order to ‘visit’ all the camps that Serbs were detained in,” the 50-year-old was quoted as saying.

She paid significant amounts of money for every piece of information.

Her first destination was the central prison in Tirana which she said she managed to enter with the help of a local inspector who was a child of a mixed, Serbian-Albanian marriage.

“There were 37 Serbs kidnapped from Kosovo and Metohija in this prison. They were placed in several larger rooms. Even though it was winter, some of them were half-barefoot, poorly dressed and visibly exhausted,” she stressed, adding that the Serbs had been taken to a private, ranch-like property on the city’s outskirts owned by then Albanian President Sali Berisha.

The state-of-the-art hospital was located at the ranch and the victims' organs were removed there. The daily’s source said the woman had tried to talk to the imprisoned Serbs.

“They remained silent to all my questions. Fear and distrust were present among them. They were probably sedated too,” Lj. K. was quoted as saying.

She claims that she recognized a doctor from Priština, identifying his surname as Petković, Goran Stolić from Prizren and Milorad Avramović from Istok.

Her next stop on the "journey of truth", the daily says, was a yellow house near Kukes, which gave the informal name to the Kosovo organ trafficking case. She found 12 kidnapped Serbs there.

“Aside from removing organs from the kidnapped Serbs, the KLA leadership used to meet with then Albanian officials in this house and they planned development of criminal activities, from organ trafficking to weapons and drugs,” Lj. K. explained and added that a team of surgeons had been making decisions about the removal of organs.

Hearts, bone marrow, corneas, kidneys and livers were removed from the kidnapped victims.

“I learned from a friend, who was close to the KLA leaders, that some of the money received from this bloody sale ended up as bribe for high international officials (in Kosovo),” she stressed.

She also visited a hospital in the town of Vlore where organs were removed from detained Serbs and Roma.

There were also foreign nationals among the victims, primarily young women from Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria who had been tricked into coming to Albania.

Lj. K. also witnessed horrible scenes in the city of Durres. The kidnapped people were kept in a stall and prisoners’ screams could be heard at night, the daily reports.

She claims that the Albanians transported the removed organs in special portable refrigerators by private helicopters. The organs were then sold in European and U.S. black markets. Each organ had its predefined price and so-called Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, leaders were taking the money.