Kosovo police have raided the home of Serbian woman AM, who is in custody in Croatia on suspicion that she and her boyfriend, a Croatian KFOR pilot, were spying for Serbia.
Veton Elshani, deputy director of the Police in the north, told KOHA that the raid was carried out on the evening of August 27, following publications in Croatia about the arrest of AM.
He said they had information that there might be weapons in her house in North Mitrovica. "We searched this house and found a spray can, some cartridges and bullets," he said on Friday.
The Kosovo Serb, AM, is suspected of receiving information from her boyfriend about KFOR movements in the north and passing it on to the Serbian List, or even to other Serbian actors, including Vladimir Radivojević, known by the nickname “Mami”, reports “Index.hr”. “Mami” is known as the leader of the “Northern Brigade”, which has been declared a terrorist organization in Kosovo. The Kosovo Special Prosecution filed an indictment against Radivojević last year, and is suspected of being linked to the terrorist attack in Banjska on September 24, 2023, during which police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed.
Croatian pilot JI is accused of a more serious crime, and according to the prosecution, he could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. He was the person who revealed secret information about the movement of KFOR troops.
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AM could be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison, for a milder form of espionage, for collecting secret information and transmitting it.
The couple met in 2016 in Kosovo. At the time, the pilot was working as part of the Croatian contingent in KFOR, while the Kosovo Serb woman was working as a translator in EULEX.
Their relationship lasted for nine years. AM had often gone to Croatia.
The pilot allegedly told investigators that his partner only sent him weather data that was important to him as a pilot. He denied that they exchanged confidential information.
The suspect, in her defense, claimed to work for the German secret service. She said she works for the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), which is responsible for collecting and analyzing intelligence data from abroad.
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Regarding the case on Friday, the Kosovo Special Prosecution Office confirmed that it has requested Croatia to provide evidence for the Kosovo citizen.
"Regarding the arrest of a citizen of the Republic of Kosovo in Croatia, we inform you that the Special Prosecution is in contact with the relevant authorities. The Prosecution has already sent an official request for the provision of evidence to the institutions of Croatia, in accordance with agreements on international legal cooperation. The Special Prosecution will take all necessary legal actions regarding this matter," reads a response from the information office at the Special Prosecution given to KOHJA.
Readiness for cooperation with Croatia was also expressed on Thursday by the spokesperson of the acting Government of Kosovo, Përparim Kryeziu. He said that Kosovo institutions are fully prepared to cooperate with Croatian institutions.
In a Facebook post, Kryeziu dismissed claims that the Serbian suspect from Mitrovica may have provided important and confidential information from the Prime Minister's Office.
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"Regarding the allegations that the person with the initials AM, a Serb from Mitrovica, who was arrested by Croatian authorities on suspicion of espionage for Serbia, also had connections with the Office of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, first of all we want to make it clear to the public that the Office of the Prime Minister consists of permanent civilian staff and the cabinets of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers which are composed of political appointees. Furthermore, we want to emphasize that access to important and confidential information of the Office of the Prime Minister is strictly limited. Therefore we reject any claim that the person in question may have provided important and confidential information of the Office of the Prime Minister," he wrote.
KFOR has also reacted to the detention of its former member. In a response to KOHA, the mission said that the safety of troop personnel and the integrity of classified information are paramount.
