A study published by the Swiss newspaper "NZZ am Sonntag Magazine"documents the international electric bike theft network in Switzerland, tracking with GPS several stolen bikes, which end up in Kosovo.
One of the cases leads to a village in Kosovo, where a bicycle stolen in Bern ends up in a Kosovar second-hand shop.
According to the report, demand for electric bicycles in Kosovo is increasing, especially after the pandemic, while the lack of official manufacturer representations means that the market relies mainly on used products. This creates space for importing bicycles from abroad, including stolen ones.
Swiss journalists arrive in a small town at the foot of the Albanian Alps in Kosovo, where the GPS signal of their stolen bicycle leads them to a suspicious store. Instead of a suspicious warehouse, they find a store selling clothes, sports equipment and used bicycles. The owner, whom they call Besnik, initially shows nervousness at the mention of bicycles, reports Telegrafi.
After a careful conversation, he agrees to speak on condition of anonymity and invites the journalists into a separate room. There is the red electric bicycle that was stolen in Bern. The loyalist tells them to take it back, but first he invites them to lunch and gradually agrees to share what he knows.
He says he had doubts about the origin of the bicycle, as it came from Switzerland and could have been stolen, but he had not made any further checks. According to him, he procures the bicycles through contacts abroad and buys them to resell at a profit in Kosovo. He admits that he operates in a market where the origin of goods often remains unclear.
A few days after the meeting with the journalists, the police show up at his shop, take photos and ask questions about his activities and suppliers. Among them is a police officer from Switzerland, which indicates international involvement in the investigation of this chain.
The shop owner in Kosovo admits to buying bicycles from middlemen operating between Switzerland, the Balkans and other countries, often without verifying their origin. The transactions are usually carried out in cash, while transportation is carried out via land routes, including buses used for deliveries from the diaspora.
Prices in this market are significantly lower: a bicycle bought for around 1500 euros in Kosovo can be resold for around 1900 euros. According to interviews, local middlemen and sellers profit from this difference, while the origin of the goods often remains unclear.
The report also highlights the presence of international authorities in Kosovo, including cooperation with the Swiss police in investigating such cases. A Swiss police official confirms that the demand for electric bicycles abroad is high and that the Swiss market, due to high prices, is a frequent source for this activity.
In the article, Kosovo is presented as one of the destinations where a portion of stolen bicycles in Western Europe end up, within a chain that includes theft, brokerage and resale in markets with growing demand. /Telegraph
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