PRISTINA (Reuters) – Kosovo’s state prosecutor on Monday said it has arrested 48 policemen and two customs officers believed to have taken bribes for allowing illegal goods to enter the country. The arrested officers were working at border crossings with Albania in the southwest part of the country.
“Those arrested are suspected to be involved in more than 400 cases in criminal actions of taking bribes and abuse of official duty,” Kushtrim Hodaj from the Police Inspectorate said during a press conference with the state prosecutor.
Hodaj said that another 18 people remain at large and they are accused of offering bribes. He said they are mainly citizens from Albania and now Kosovo is seeking information from authorities in Tirana.
In a similar operation in 2016 the small Balkan country arrested around 60 police officers following a four-month corruption investigation after drivers filed complaints about traffic police asking them for bribes.Graft and organized crime have been cited as the main obstacles for the Balkan country in attracting foreign investment.
(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Mark Porter)