Arrests of police officers in Kosovo reveal a culture of bribe taking among border police and a strong internal investigation system in the police inspectorate.

In the first half of 2022, 5% of Kosovo’s border police force was arrested as a result of a number of anti-corruption operations. Recent publications also reveal an upward trend in complaints made against the police. What do these cases reveal about the Kosovo police and those who police them?

The Kosovo police, established in 1999, currently employs 9 070 staff, of whom 8 104 are uniformed and 968 are civilian staff.¹ The police force enjoys a good reputation among the people of Kosovo: between 2015 and 2021, it was perceived to be the least corrupt organization in the country,² and the second most trusted institution after the Kosovo Security Force.³

The police are overseen by the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo (PIK), which was established in 2006 as an executive agency within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Currently, the PIK employs 93 staff members, of whom half work in the Department of Investigation.⁴ The PIK contributes to ensuring the accountability and transpar­ency of police mainly through prevention, detection, documentation and investigation of criminal offences and inspection of police structures and functions.

In May 2021, the PIK, in coordination with the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo (SPRK), initiated an investigation into police working at two border crossing points between Kosovo and Albania, namely Qafe Prush and Qafe Morine.⁵ Together with the Vermice–Morine crossing, these border crossing points have been previously identified by the GI-TOC as hotspots of drug trafficking.⁶ The investigation was initiated based on information from a credible source stating that drugs (mainly cannabis) were being trafficked through the two border crossings with the support of border police officers who ensured the transport until North Mitrovica.⁷ Hidden cameras revealed that border officials were involved in criminal activities, including more than 400 instances of bribery and abuse of official position or authority.⁸ The investigation led to the arrest of 48 border police officers and two customs officials on 14 March 2022,⁹ including the whole team of 19 officials working in the border crossing point at Qafe Prush.

During the surveillance, the PIK also identified irregular activities at the other shared crossing point with Albania at Vermice–Morine. Since the crossing point is located on Albanian territory, the PIK worked with the SPRK as well as the Albanian Special Anti-Corruption Structure and the Agency for Supervision of Police to launch a joint investigation.¹⁰ It was conducted in line with a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of internal control and police oversight¹¹ and a protocol for joint inspections signed by Kosovar and Albanian authorities.¹²

The way the operation was carried out suggests a high degree of professionalism. A task force of 12 investigators was created, who worked in a separate room within the Inspectorate and reported only to the head of the task force and the PIK’s director. The fact that the integrity of the process was maintained despite the involvement of six institutions from two countries suggests close cooperation and good discipline among those who took part in the investigation.¹³

The joint operation was conducted on 8 April 2022 and resulted in the arrest of 58 border police officers. 26 Kosovo border police officers, including two sergeants, were arrested in Kosovo,¹⁴ while Albanian authorities arrested 32 border police officers on suspicion of taking bribes in more than 312 cases.¹⁵ Video surveillance shows border police officers taking bribes of €10–20 from citizens who did not possess the required documents for traveling and/or moving goods.¹⁶

A police operation at the Vermice–Morine common border crossing point between Kosovo and Albania.

Photo: Police Inspectorate of Kosovo

According to the PIK, in most cases the arrested officials acted alone; in a few cases, they cooperated with each other and acted jointly, but there is no indication of their involvement with organized criminal groups.¹⁷ It is worth noting that the average age of the officials who were arrested was 50 years old, which suggests that it might be time for a generational change.¹⁸

Investigation of police officers, 2016–2021

The recent arrests are not an aberration. Figures from the past five years show that around 100 criminal charges are brought against Kosovo police officers every year, with several officers suspended or even arrested.¹⁹

Figure 1 Number of police officers investigated and sanctioned, 2016–2021.

Source: Police Inspectorate of Kosovo

Between 2016 and 2021, an average of 2.7% of Kosovo police staff was investigated each year. 38% of these investigations were for criminal offences while 62% were for disciplinary offences.

Figure 2 Complaints against police officers and the number investigated as a result, 2016–2021.

Source: Police Inspectorate of Kosovo

Since 2019, the number of complaints submitted to the PIK has increased significantly, totalling more than 2 000 in 2021. This increase is mainly due to greater public awareness of the need to report cases and strengthened trust in the PIK, as well as to an increase in police activity and fines in relation to COVID-19.

From 2016 to 2021, the Department for Management of Complaints sent 3 535 cases to the Department of Investigations, of which only 29% were followed up with criminal investigations, 48% were transferred to the Kosovo police for an administrative-disciplinary investigation while 23% were preliminarily investigated before being transferred the following year. This has two implications: First, at least 48% of complaints/cases transferred by the Department for Management of Complaints did not meet the criteria for criminal investigations or were rejected by the Department of Investigation. Second, the PIK conducted investigations for criminal offences on fewer than 20% of the complaints it received.²⁰ Furthermore, it is worth noting that investigations carried out against police officers in Kosovo rarely deal with bribery. Rather, based on figures from 2019 to 2021, most cases are brought for abuse of official duty or authority, followed by light bodily injury and mistreatment during the exercise of official duty.²¹

On average, 13% of the investigated officers are from the border department while 80% are from operational departments. It is worth noting that the majority (76%) of those investigated are basic police officers, while only 10% are sergeants. This shows that mainly members of the lower ranks are subject to investigation.²²

Steps to strengthen integrity

The two recent cases that resulted in 5% of Kosovo’s border police force being arrested suggest a number of things. First, there seems to be a culture of bribe taking among border police, which undermines public trust in and support for the police. Although most of the bribes were petty, more serious collusion with criminal groups has been noted in the past.

Secondly, the internal investigation system seems to work well: the PIK operated efficiently and in close cooperation with other services, including in Albania. While the PIK deserves further support in acquiring investigative equipment and tools, a stronger focus should be put on prevention – particularly by strengthening integrity among a younger generation of law enforcement personnel.

There could be greater scope for the use of technology to contribute to improving the integrity and professionalism of border police. The ongoing work of drafting the Law on Salaries in the Public Sector and amending the laws on the police and police inspectorates should provide competitive salaries for police and the police inspectorate as well as measures to enhance the reputation, training, accountability and integrity of the police. This would help ensure that Kosovo’s police force remains one of the most respected institutions in the country and would free up resources to monitor criminals rather than the police.

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