In a significant development, the offices of the Serbian Tax Administration in North Mitrovica were sealed today. The operation, conducted by the Kosovo Police, marks another step in the removal of Serbian state institutions from northern Kosovo.
Operation Details
EULEX personnel inspected the building’s interior following the sealing process. After their departure, Kosovo Police secured the premises by locking the doors. Most officers left the scene, although one patrol remains stationed at the location.
Siniša Lazić, the director of the now-closed Tax Administration, was seen leaving the premises in his vehicle. Workers were observed exiting the building earlier, collecting personal belongings before leaving the site.
On-site were inspectors from the Economic Crimes Unit, as confirmed by Deputy
Commander for the Northern Region, Veton Elshani. He told KoSSev that the action was initiated at the request of the Kosovo Police, who entered the building earlier in the day.
„This is a parallel institution. We confiscated documentation and called in the Economic Crimes Unit. A case has been opened on document forgery,“ Elshani explained.
He added that individuals are being questioned in accordance with standard procedures.
Broader Context
The closure of the Tax Administration office comes amid a broader campaign by Kosovo authorities to assert control over northern Kosovo.
This effort has increasingly targeted Serbian institutions operating in the region, which are considered parallel by Pristina.
In December, several other Serbian-run institutions were shut down in North Mitrovica, including the Urban Planning Directorate, the Directorate for Municipal Construction Land and Roads and the Directorate for Residential and Commercial Space.
Today’s action follows a pattern that has grown familiar in recent months: the systematic removal of Serbian institutional presence in Kosovo.
The sealing of the Tax Administration office on the second day of Orthodox Christmas highlights the continued tensions between Pristina and the local Serbian community.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
