A Kosovo citizen, Besnik Mehaj, has claimed he and his nephew were subjected to intimidation and extortion by Serbian police while traveling from Austria to Kosovo.
According to Mehaj, the incident occurred in the area of Subotica, where their vehicle—registered with Kosovo license plates—was stopped for inspection. He alleges that during the search, officers presented a bullet casing, claiming it had been found under a seat in the car.
Mehaj insists the evidence was planted.
“They returned with a bullet casing and said they found it in the car. I know they put it there themselves to intimidate us,” he said in a statement.
He further claims that both he and his nephew were taken inside and threatened with severe legal consequences, including prison sentences of up to eight years. His nephew was reportedly told that authorities from Belgrade would take over the case.
According to Mehaj, the situation escalated into demands for money in exchange for their release. He alleges that they were ultimately forced to pay €1,200 to avoid arrest and further mistreatment.
“They told me my nephew would be sent to prison that same night. We offered money so they would release him. After discussing among themselves, they asked for €1,200. We paid, and they let us go,” he said.
Mehaj added that he had traveled through Serbia before but had never experienced such treatment. He warned others to avoid transiting through Serbian territory, claiming that such incidents are intended to intimidate and psychologically pressure Albanian travelers.
There has been no official response from Serbian authorities regarding these allegations.
