Kosovo police members confiscated Serbian licence plates in the villages of Ranilug and Veliko Ropotovo, populated by the Serb community, RTK2 reports today.

According to unofficial information, police in plain clothes stopped the vehicles with Serbian licence plates, gave traffic tickets to the drivers and sent them to the magistrate.

One of the witnesses confirmed to RTK2, that the police was confiscating the licence plates under the excuse, “no RKS plates are allowed in Serbia, then Serbian plates cannot be allowed in Kosovo either.”

Also, the police were stopping vehicles with “RKS” and “KS” licence plates and searched them thoroughly. They requested drivers to have a complete equipment, starting from first aid kit, snow chains, all the way to the “mandatory” possession of a blanket in a car trunk.

According to unofficial information, around 10 drivers were sent to the magistrate.

Villages of Ranilug and Veliko Ropotovo are populated by the Serbs only. There is no official information if similar actions were conducted in other areas in Kosovo.

RTK2 tried to get in touch with several police officials and spokespersons, including the police spokesperson for Gnjilane region, Ismet Hashani, however all of them were unavailable.

Driving cars with Serbian licence plates in Kosovo was agreed in the Brussels dialogue, RTK2 recalled.

Meanwhile, police station commander in Ranilug, lieutenant Nebojsa Popovic refuted information published by RTK2 earlier on confiscation of license plates in the territory of this municipality.

“It is a disinformation. The vehicle was stopped at the entry of Ranilug. The owner of the vehicle was fined over unfasten seatbelt. It is not true his license plates were confiscated or that he received any other fine,” Popovic told RTK2.

He said, the check was carried out by police officers in official uniforms, and not police members in plain clothes.

“The police were in civilian vehicle, but police officers were wearing uniforms. The car has mark 01 and belongs to Gnjilane region,” Popovic added.