Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PRISTINA444
2007-06-05 17:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Pristina
Cable title:
KOSOVO: FIVE TRAFFICKING SUSPECTS RECEIVE A TOTAL
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000444
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, DRL, INL, AND G/TIP, NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN
FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER, OPDAT FOR
ACKER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2017
TAGS: GTIP KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: FIVE TRAFFICKING SUSPECTS RECEIVE A TOTAL
OF 19 YEARS IN PRISON
REF: PRISTINA 150
Classified By: COM TINA KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000444
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, DRL, INL, AND G/TIP, NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN
FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER, OPDAT FOR
ACKER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2017
TAGS: GTIP KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: FIVE TRAFFICKING SUSPECTS RECEIVE A TOTAL
OF 19 YEARS IN PRISON
REF: PRISTINA 150
Classified By: COM TINA KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
1. (C) SUMMARY: Kosovo media reported on May 29 that the
Pristina Regional Court sentenced five people accused of
trafficking in persons (TIP) to a total of 19 years in
prison, ranging from 7.6 years for the group's ringleader to
2 years for a Moldovan woman whom the Kosovo Police Service
(KPS) told us may have originally been a victim herself. The
arrests, which occured in June 2006, were the result of a
two-year undercover operation that the KPS Trafficking in
Human Beings Section (THBS) began while under the tutelage of
UNMIK Police. The good news is that these sentences
reflected the solid work of the KPS, which conducted the
initial raid, and an increasing awareness by the Kosovo
judiciary of the gravity of TIP crimes. On the other hand,
the arrest of a female trafficker may confirm the KPS THBS's
suspicion (reftel) that traffickers are starting to involve
former victims in their crimes, making it potentially more
easy to recruit victims. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Kosovo media reported on May 29 that Pristina Regional
Court sentenced five people accused of trafficking in persons
(TIP) at the Tango Cafe in Pristina to a total of 19 years in
prison. According to presiding judge Marie Ademi, the
group's ringleader, Tango Cafe owner Hilmi Krasniqi, received
7.5 years in prison and a 5,000 euro fine, and a Moldovan
woman, Natalia "Natasha" Antohi, received two years in
prison. Although Antohi denies the charge, KPS THBS Chief
Ramadan Ahmeti told USOP that KPS THBS believes she was
initially a trafficking victim. The indictment says she
worked in the Tango Cafe at three different times. Ahmet
Llapashtica, Blerim Ibrahimi and Ruzhdi Berisha received 4.5,
three and two years, respectively. Ademi told USOP she
ordered detention on remand for Krasniqi, Llapashtica and
Antohi until the judgment becomes final.
3. (C) The Tango Cafe ring allegedly engaged in human
trafficking between February 2003 when the Tango Cafe opened
and June 6, 2006 when the KPS raided the premises. The
indictment says they recruited, transferred, housed and
exploited women from Ukraine and Moldova. Krasniqi
reportedly promised the victims work as waitresses and
dancers and provided them with plane tickets and employment
contracts, but later forced them into prostitution.
Llapshtica, Ibrahimi and Berisha allegedly assisted Krasniqi
with the recruitment, transfer and exploitation of the
victims, while Antohi met them at the Pristina Airport,
instructed them on how to behave with their clients, and
supervised their work. According to KPS THBS Chief Ahmeti,
the women lived and worked in the Tango Cafe, and were
occasionally escorted to nearby hotels to serve clients. One
of the victims who testified against the ring, Olesea Sirbu,
said she was asked to sign an employment contract in English,
which Antohi translated for her. She thought it was for a
job as a dancer, but when she got to the Tango Cafe, she was
forced to have sexual relations with clients. When she asked
to go back to Moldova, Llapastica reportedly told her she
would have to work for one year first.
4. (C) Ahmeti told USOP the bust was the result of a two-year
undercover operation that was undertaken thanks to both
routine investigative work and information from trafficking
victims rescued in other raids who mentioned having worked at
the Tango Cafe. The KPS THBS began the operation while still
under UNMIK's supervision, but carried out the bust on their
own shortly after transitioning. It was one of their first
big post-transition operations.
5. (C) Comment: The Tango Cafe sentences reveal both the
solid work of the KPS and a growing awareness among the
Kosovo judiciary of the gravity of TIP crimes. In 2006, the
majority of the TIP-related sentences handed down were for
one year or less. Nevertheless, the arrest of Natasha Antohi
may confirm the KPS THBS's suspicion that traffickers are
PRISTINA 00000444 002 OF 002
starting to involve former victims in their business. This
is a troubling trend since women may be more likely to trust
employment offers from other women. USOP will continue to
monitor TIP trends in Kosovo and to support TIP-related
training for the Kosovo judiciary. USOP will also continue
to push for the Kosovo Special Prosecutors Office (KSPO) to
handle trafficking cases.
KAIDANOW
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, DRL, INL, AND G/TIP, NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN
FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, USOSCE FOR STEVE STEGER, OPDAT FOR
ACKER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2017
TAGS: GTIP KJUS KCRM EAID KDEM UNMIK YI
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: FIVE TRAFFICKING SUSPECTS RECEIVE A TOTAL
OF 19 YEARS IN PRISON
REF: PRISTINA 150
Classified By: COM TINA KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
1. (C) SUMMARY: Kosovo media reported on May 29 that the
Pristina Regional Court sentenced five people accused of
trafficking in persons (TIP) to a total of 19 years in
prison, ranging from 7.6 years for the group's ringleader to
2 years for a Moldovan woman whom the Kosovo Police Service
(KPS) told us may have originally been a victim herself. The
arrests, which occured in June 2006, were the result of a
two-year undercover operation that the KPS Trafficking in
Human Beings Section (THBS) began while under the tutelage of
UNMIK Police. The good news is that these sentences
reflected the solid work of the KPS, which conducted the
initial raid, and an increasing awareness by the Kosovo
judiciary of the gravity of TIP crimes. On the other hand,
the arrest of a female trafficker may confirm the KPS THBS's
suspicion (reftel) that traffickers are starting to involve
former victims in their crimes, making it potentially more
easy to recruit victims. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Kosovo media reported on May 29 that Pristina Regional
Court sentenced five people accused of trafficking in persons
(TIP) at the Tango Cafe in Pristina to a total of 19 years in
prison. According to presiding judge Marie Ademi, the
group's ringleader, Tango Cafe owner Hilmi Krasniqi, received
7.5 years in prison and a 5,000 euro fine, and a Moldovan
woman, Natalia "Natasha" Antohi, received two years in
prison. Although Antohi denies the charge, KPS THBS Chief
Ramadan Ahmeti told USOP that KPS THBS believes she was
initially a trafficking victim. The indictment says she
worked in the Tango Cafe at three different times. Ahmet
Llapashtica, Blerim Ibrahimi and Ruzhdi Berisha received 4.5,
three and two years, respectively. Ademi told USOP she
ordered detention on remand for Krasniqi, Llapashtica and
Antohi until the judgment becomes final.
3. (C) The Tango Cafe ring allegedly engaged in human
trafficking between February 2003 when the Tango Cafe opened
and June 6, 2006 when the KPS raided the premises. The
indictment says they recruited, transferred, housed and
exploited women from Ukraine and Moldova. Krasniqi
reportedly promised the victims work as waitresses and
dancers and provided them with plane tickets and employment
contracts, but later forced them into prostitution.
Llapshtica, Ibrahimi and Berisha allegedly assisted Krasniqi
with the recruitment, transfer and exploitation of the
victims, while Antohi met them at the Pristina Airport,
instructed them on how to behave with their clients, and
supervised their work. According to KPS THBS Chief Ahmeti,
the women lived and worked in the Tango Cafe, and were
occasionally escorted to nearby hotels to serve clients. One
of the victims who testified against the ring, Olesea Sirbu,
said she was asked to sign an employment contract in English,
which Antohi translated for her. She thought it was for a
job as a dancer, but when she got to the Tango Cafe, she was
forced to have sexual relations with clients. When she asked
to go back to Moldova, Llapastica reportedly told her she
would have to work for one year first.
4. (C) Ahmeti told USOP the bust was the result of a two-year
undercover operation that was undertaken thanks to both
routine investigative work and information from trafficking
victims rescued in other raids who mentioned having worked at
the Tango Cafe. The KPS THBS began the operation while still
under UNMIK's supervision, but carried out the bust on their
own shortly after transitioning. It was one of their first
big post-transition operations.
5. (C) Comment: The Tango Cafe sentences reveal both the
solid work of the KPS and a growing awareness among the
Kosovo judiciary of the gravity of TIP crimes. In 2006, the
majority of the TIP-related sentences handed down were for
one year or less. Nevertheless, the arrest of Natasha Antohi
may confirm the KPS THBS's suspicion that traffickers are
PRISTINA 00000444 002 OF 002
starting to involve former victims in their business. This
is a troubling trend since women may be more likely to trust
employment offers from other women. USOP will continue to
monitor TIP trends in Kosovo and to support TIP-related
training for the Kosovo judiciary. USOP will also continue
to push for the Kosovo Special Prosecutors Office (KSPO) to
handle trafficking cases.
KAIDANOW