Military Equipment Hidden in Mitrovica: Agim Rexhepi Calls for In-Depth Investigation into Its Origin and Purpose

Kosovo Police found military clothing and equipment hidden inside a sewer manhole during a routine patrol on Zoran Đinđić Street in Mitrovica.

Speaking to “Bota sot,” former investigator Agim Rexhepi said the discovery should not be treated merely as a routine police report. According to him, the fact that military uniforms and equipment were found hidden in a manhole in North Mitrovica demands serious attention from the institutions responsible for security.

He stressed that no premature conclusions should be drawn about who may have placed the equipment there or the purpose for which it was intended, as these matters must be clarified through an investigation.

However, Rexhepi emphasized that such equipment does not end up hidden in sewer manholes by accident. If similar equipment has previously been discovered in this area, he said, this constitutes a warning sign that institutions must examine much more thoroughly.

He said attention should not be focused solely on what the police found. According to Rexhepi, the investigation must determine who procured the equipment, where it came from, when it was placed there, who had access to it and why it was hidden.

The former investigator also called for checks to determine whether the equipment had been used previously, whether it had been used in any illegal activity and whether it was linked to other cases recorded in the past.

According to Rexhepi, the case should not be viewed as an isolated incident. He called for it to be compared with all previous similar cases, for possible links to be examined and for a complete picture of the situation to be established so that security institutions remain one step ahead of developments rather than behind them.

He said information gathering, intelligence analysis and surveillance of sensitive areas should be strengthened. He also called for closer cooperation among the police, other security institutions, the prosecution and international partners.

Rexhepi called for the investigation to be conducted professionally, without causing panic or stigmatizing any community. According to him, institutions must take a firm stance against any unlawful act while also acting with precision and professionalism, focusing on those responsible, possible networks and concrete facts.

If the investigation shows that the equipment was abandoned and has no connection to criminal activity, Rexhepi said that conclusion should be made public. Conversely, if links to organized activities, preparations for illegal acts or threats to public safety are uncovered, institutions must respond without delay and enforce the full force of the law.

In conclusion, the former investigator called for the case neither to be downplayed nor used for speculation, but to be investigated thoroughly. He stressed that security is measured not only by how quickly the police discover such equipment, but also by the ability of institutions to determine who placed it there, why it was hidden and whether a broader network is behind it.

According to Rexhepi, the case should serve as a wake-up call for greater coordination, preventive intelligence and institutional professionalism. He added that citizens have the right to feel safe and to expect every possible sign of danger to be taken seriously. The equipment has now been found, and it is the institutions’ duty to provide answers, Rexhepi told “Bota sot.”