MACEDONIA: GOM SUSPECTS ESCAPED KOSOVO CRIMINALS

S E C R E T SKOPJE 000698 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE PPFEUFFER E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2017 TAGS: PGOV KCRM PINR PTER ASEC KV MK SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: GOM SUSPECTS ESCAPED KOSOVO CRIMINALS MAY BE IN MACEDONIA REF: PRISTINA 640 Classified By: CDA TNAVRATIL FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) Summary -------------- ¶1. (S) On August 23, Macedonian Ministry of Interior (MOI) Director of Public Security, Ljupco Todorovski, told us that according to GOM intelligence sources, at least two of the criminals who escaped from a Kosovo prison (ref) are in Macedonia near the border with Kosovo. He also said the escapees, or their associates, will attend a meeting of extremists tomorrow (August 24) in the Albanian town of Kruja. Todorovski said that the GOM has no plan at this time to attempt to apprehend the convicts they believe are in Macedonia, but that he will inform us if the MOI decides to initiate such an operation. End Summary. MOI Not Planning To Arrest Escapees At This Time -------------- --- ¶2. (S) On August 23, Todorovski told RSO and ICITAP Program Manager that the MOI has received reports from its domestic intelligence sources that escaped inmates Lirim Jakupi and Ramadan Shiti, and possibly others, are currently either in the town of Brodec outside Tetovo, or in the border town of Tanusevci. He said that the latest intelligence indicates they are in Tanusevci, where Xhezair Shaqiri, a former National Democratic Party member of parliament and National Liberation Army Commander, is located. Todorovski said that MOI intelligence also indicates that Xhemail Iseini, who escaped from Macedonian custody on August 21, is also hiding in Tanusevci. Iseini, who was convicted in 2004 for terrorist activity in Macedonia, escaped from custody while attending his mother's funeral. ¶3. (S) Todorovski also said that the intelligence sources report that ethnic-Albanian extremists from the region are planning to meet August 24 in the town of Kruja in Albania. According to these reports, the escaped convicts, or their associates, will attend the meeting, where they will discuss future disruptive activities in the region related to Kosovo status. ¶4. (S) Todorovski stressed that, given political considerations, including the current sensitive nature of Kosovo discussions, the MOI has no plan at this time to send police to Tanusevci to try to find and apprehend the convicts. He promised that the MOI would contact embassy officials if the GOM's policy changes and they decide to attempt to arrest the convicts. NAVRATIL