Kosovo Interior Minister Flamur Sefaj received an official announcement that Europol decided to start co-operation with Kosovo, the ministry announced, reports B92 today.

Sefaj met with Deputy Director of the EU Security Council Olivier Onidi, who told him that at the meeting of the Steering Committee, Europol decided that Kosovo "should be on the list of priorities" of the member states of that organization, and that Europol will conclude a working agreement with Kosovo, B92 reports.

The EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) are the only link that Kosovo institutions have with EUROPOL and INTERPOL, the news site reports. And even, it is these two missions, according to the news site, that decide what information to share with the local authorities. Meanwhile, the procedures for exchange of information with local institutions takes a long time, even in situations requring quick action. Donika Emini from the Kosovo Security Center says there are cases that take years to be processed.

European police forces have dismantled a large international criminal network that smuggled irregular migrants to Western European countries for money.

The announcement was made by Europol on Wednesday.

In a Europol-coordinated operation, which involved the police services of several countries, 77 people of various nationalities were arrested "in Kosovo, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, the Czech Republic, France and Germany," a Europol statement said.

With the support of Europol and Eurojust and nearly 400 law enforcement officers, 77 individuals suspected of large-scale irregular migrant smuggling from Kosovo to the EU have been arrested in Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Kosovo.