On the territory of the municipality of Zubin Potok in the north of Kosovo, in the early morning hours of August 11, there was an exchange of fire between the Kosovo police and a group that smuggled goods, the deputy director of the police for the northern region, Veton Eljšani (Elshani), told Radio Free Europe.
He explained that the police tried to stop a van with contraband when shots were fired, to which the police responded with the same measure.
"No one was injured, the police arrested five people, while they are looking for one more person," said Eljšani.
In the meantime, information appeared on Telegram channels that the Kosovo police "shot at Serbs in the north of Kosovo and kidnapped five of them."
"The van in which the Serbs were was completely riddled, there is no information on whether anyone was injured," reads the announcement on the "Rebellion is a state of mind" channel.
This and other Serbian-language channels have been particularly active since the outbreak of the crisis in the north of Kosovo at the end of May, when Albanian mayors with the help of the police entered the municipal guards in Zvečan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok. Unverified information is often spread to them.
On the "Patriotizam" channel, it is stated that the allegedly arrested Serbs were trying to "supply commercial facilities in the north of Kosovo via alternative routes", and they ask whether the transportation of "basic foodstuffs is the reason for the shooting and for someone to be beaten".
On the other hand, the Kosovo police told RSE that three cars and one van were confiscated, and that in addition to contraband, narcotics were also found.
The case was characterized as assault on an official, smuggling of goods and possession of narcotics.
This is not the first time that the Kosovo police in the municipalities in the north, where the majority Serb population lives, have seized contraband, narcotics or weapons.
On Monday, August 7, a drug laboratory, equipment for the production of cryptocurrencies and stun bombs were found in North Mitrovica.
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