Reputed crime 'kingpin' arrested in Kosovo
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 6 May 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Reputed crime 'kingpin' arrested in Kosovo, 6 May 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/519a6bcd18.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Comments | All reference to Kosovo should be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244. |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
May 06, 2013
By RFE/RL's Balkan Service
Naser Kelmendi in an undated photo
Reputed Balkan crime boss, Naser Kelmendi, has been arrested in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, on an international arrest warrant.
Police detained Kelmendi late on May 5 along with a second suspect.
Kelmendi has long been suspected of drug and cigarette smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, and loan-sharking.
In June 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama added Kelmendi to a list of suspected "narcotics kingpin" targeted with sanctions mandated by a U.S. law.
Kelmendi has been investigated in Bosnia-Herzegovina in connection with more than a dozen charges but has never been brought to trial.
A Sarajevo court issued an arrest warrant last year for Kelmendi as part of a broader case in which he is suspected of having ordered the murder of a rival.
Kelmendi, a Kosovo-born Albanian, has Bosnian citizenship and owns numerous businesses with family members throughout the Balkans.
With additional reporting by Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
