"Illicit meat trade burgeoning in Kosovo"

Chicken, packed with hormones, is being smuggled via Kosovo, into central Serbia, in a racket involving Serbs and Albanians, says daily Vecernje Novosti. “Everyone in the smuggling chain is doing well out of it, sellers in Kosovo, middlemen on both sides, as well as dealers in Bujanovac, but also the owners of butchers’ and shops throughout Serbia. The only ones losing out are customers, since this meat is harmful to human health,” says Miodrag Milkovic, the director of a Veterinary Station in Bujanovac. "Illicit meat trade burgeoning in Kosovo" “The chicken is arriving in Kosovo from America and is packed with hormone. Those quantities are absolutely forbidden in Europe. When adults use this kind of meat over a long period of time, you can get stomach and throat pains, while it can be fatal for children’s health,” warns Milkovic. In his opinion, eight tons of chicken comes from Kosovo each week, through the wild administrative line crossings at Dobrosin, Muhovac and Breznica, some 15 kilometers from Bujanovac. “If we factor into that small quantities smuggled by bus, and there are 15 buses a day going towards Kosovo, then you’ve got 15 tons of meat arriving in Bujanovac a week,” Milkovic said. Bujanovac, he says, has become the main distribution center, from where meat is sent throughout Serbia. It is a lucrative business: in Kosovo, a kilo of chicken costs EUR 1.30, in Bujanovac EUR 1.50, and in shops in Serbia EUR 3. Merchandise is bought by the ton. “Gnjilane is the hub of that illicit business. Chicken from America and pork from Brazil arrives at the Mladost slaughterhouse’s freezers, which is now privately owned. Meat arrives in Gniljane via Montenegrin ports, withut any kind of customs declarations,” says Milkovic. The smuggling network includes hundreds of people, from Bujanovac, Presevo, and even Vranje, he says, all motivated solely by profit.

"Illicit meat trade burgeoning in Kosovo"

“The chicken is arriving in Kosovo from America and is packed with hormone. Those quantities are absolutely forbidden in Europe. When adults use this kind of meat over a long period of time, you can get stomach and throat pains, while it can be fatal for children’s health,” warns Milković.

In his opinion, eight tons of chicken comes from Kosovo each week, through the wild administrative line crossings at Dobrosin, Muhovac and Breznica, some 15 kilometers from Bujanovac.

“If we factor into that small quantities smuggled by bus, and there are 15 buses a day going towards Kosovo, then you’ve got 15 tons of meat arriving in Bujanovac a week,” Milković said.

Bujanovac, he says, has become the main distribution center, from where meat is sent throughout Serbia.

It is a lucrative business: in Kosovo, a kilo of chicken costs EUR 1.30, in Bujanovac EUR 1.50, and in shops in Serbia EUR 3. Merchandise is bought by the ton.

“Gnjilane is the hub of that illicit business. Chicken from America and pork from Brazil arrives at the Mladost slaughterhouse’s freezers, which is now privately owned. Meat arrives in Gniljane via Montenegrin ports, withut any kind of customs declarations,” says Milković.

The smuggling network includes hundreds of people, from Bujanovac, Preševo, and even Vranje, he says, all motivated solely by profit.