Border police in the Port of Durres have arrested 10 people who were trying to cross 16 Kosovar minors to Italy in return for 3.000 to 4.000 euros each, under the guise of traveling as a sports team.

The minors were introduced as players in a local sports team, while those arrested introduced themselves as their managers, couches, and physiotherapists.

The police were able to arrest the organizer of this criminal activity. During the physical check, 5.945 euros were found and seized from these citizens.

“Border Police Services, in cooperation with specialists for the Investigation of Illegal Traffic of the Durres Local Police Directorate, following the increased controls at the Durres PKK, as part of the plan of measures for the end of the year holidays and based on the informational intelligence for a case of providing assistance for illegal border crossing, in exchange for profit, have organized and finalized the police operation coded “Team”, and completed the documentation of this criminal activity.

As part of this operation, 10 citizens were arrested in the act: B. B., 48 years old, D. Sh., 32 years old, D. G., 36 years old, F. B., 21 years old, F. Gj., 54 years old, A. D., 21 years old, Q. K., 20 years old, E. D., 21 years old, A. K., 22 years old and B. H., 37 years old, all residents of Kosovo.

All these citizens are suspected to have cooperated with each other, to help 16 minor citizens from Kosovo (aged 17), to cross illegally to Italy. The arrested citizens were introduced as members of the board of a sports team that consisted of the 16 minor citizens they were accompanying. The investigation showed that the minors and their parents had given the traffickers 3,000-4,000 euros each to help them cross into Italy, where it is suspected that they would seek asylum.

In addition, based on further investigation, evidence has emerged that citizen B. H. organized the transportation of minor citizens and other persons already arrested, from Kosovo to Kukes and then to Durres, through a tour bus belonging to a company in Prishtina. During the physical check, the Police found 5.945 euros on this citizen, which were seized as material evidence.

The work continues for the complete documentation of this criminal activity, and the identification and capture of other persons involved. The materials were forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office, for further action, for the criminal offense of “Assistance for illegal crossing of the border”, carried out by an organized group”, states the police notice.