An organized group of criminals attempted or carried out the thefts in a dozen places in the villages of Gornje Kusce and Stanisor, near Gnjilane, the police has confirmed this morning after starting an investigation and registering traces of at least five perpetrators, RTV Puls reports.

The door of the Sveti Sava Church in Gornje Kusce has been broken and the metal box where believers put donations was broken into.

“This is a severe blow to us, because they are attacking our holly shrines,” priest Stanimir Nikolic told RTV Puls. He was the one who reported the case to the police.

Last night, after the midnight, a vehicle belonging to Marko Ristic was stolen, while there were also theft attempts affecting dozen of houses.

In the village of Stanisor, a stable of Srecko Kostic was broken into, and a cow with a calf were stolen.

Deputy Mayor of Novo Brdo Municipality, Sinisa Dimic condemned these latest criminal attacks against the properties of the Serbs living in the municipality.

“This is a planned act of violence against the Serb population in order to deteriorate their economic position. It is obvious that Kosovo police have neither equipment and human resources nor knowledge to stop criminals, Dimic said.

In the last month this is the 6^th recorded case of thefts affecting the Serbs in the area, while thieves are targeting houses, cattle and vehicles.

Due to the drastic increase in the criminal activities over the last years and citizens’ protests, the police have replaced the station commander in Novo Brdo Alija Shukri and appointed Gani Hurgulica from Kamenica as a new station commander.

Asked by RTV Puls to explain the fact that several months after his appointment thefts still occur in Novo Brdo area and the perpetrators remain unknown, Hurgulica declined to comment, saying he has more important things to do in gathering the evidence, RTV Puls reported.