A turning point in the smuggling investigation Detained in Tirana by SHIK: the major Lebanese trader EDMOND LAÇI TIRANA — A new cigarette-smuggling scandal has begun to come to light in Tirana. The mysterious detention by SHIK officials in Tirana of Lebanese citizen Nabil Hamzit Siblinit, 27, and the impounding of a truckload of “Cooper” cigarettes—which had been sought for days—are now at the center of attention. Senior SHIK officials confirmed to the Gazette that the Lebanese man was detained for cigarette smuggling. Since 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Siblinit has been in Tirana Prison, awaiting—after the initial 72-hour period—the Albanian authorities’ decision on whether to arrest or release him. Meanwhile, the “Cooper” cigarettes are being held at the former Tirana Customs House, behind doors bearing the seals and signatures of their representatives. For Albanian traders dealing in “Cooper,” the name of the 26-year-old Lebanese man is familiar. To them, he is the number-one distributor of “Cooper” in Albania. He has operated in a particular way: after bringing the goods across the Greek border, Nabil Siblinit has always preferred to collect cash from Albanian traders, who would then distribute the cigarettes throughout the country. His detention followed a “blitz” at Tirana Customs. Strange as it may seem, that very night a large quantity of “Cooper” was found and impounded in one of Tirana’s parking lots; it is now being held in storage. A few days ago, when the Gazette wrote about the customs scandal, the story also emerged of a shipment of “Cooper” that had “disappeared” without passing through the hands of customs officers and Durrës Financial Police specialists. Today it seems as though the shipment has been found, although no one from the Financial Police has commented on the matter. After two days of rapid developments, with cigarette smuggling always at the center, a severe disruption has reportedly hit the major wholesale market in Tirana. “In a few days—you may want to take note of this—the price of ‘Cooper’ cigarettes will reach 75 lekë,” one market trader said. The recent increase in duties—4,500 US dollars is now paid per ton of “Cooper” cigarettes—as well as the detention of distributor Siblinit, has caused panic in the “Cooper” market. It is still unknown how the new investigation will end. No one at the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office has heard about the case, and no one there is working on it. Perhaps the higher authorities are handling it. This is a smuggling case. A Cooper cigarette outlet: following recent events, their price has risen

BERAT — Following his detention by Criminal Police officers, Engjëll Sehap(i), 35, was placed under arrest. — (ed.la.) — Following his detention by Criminal Police officers, Engjëll Sehap(i), 35, was placed under arrest. The criminal case opened against him accuses him of abducting two little girls from Berat over financial dealings with their parents. Matilda Petro Frako, 9, and Nertila Idajet Shehu, 10—after enduring cold hours in a bunker in Divjakë—have now returned to their families. When questioned by investigators from the Berat police, they even recounted everything about their abduction in the narrow streets of the “Barrikada” neighborhood. “After the children went missing, their parents immediately suspected and reported Engjëll Sehap(i),” says Hetem Hatellari, an employee of the Public Order Department, “because a few days earlier they had argued with him.” According to the parents’ accounts, Sehap(i) had insistently asked them to sell their house and then buy it back—naturally at the prices prevailing at the time—because the house’s value had since risen considerably. “We acted quickly to catch the kidnapper,” Hatellari continues. “We worked with our counterparts in Përmet and immediately found the place where he had hidden little Matilda and Nertila.”

SHKODËR — (p.re) — This time, the incident that set the KOP and Shkodër police in motion in an operation that has now been fully successful was the disappearance of the bell from the Church of Boga. The bell, which is of great value to us, has now been found, and the people suspected of taking it have been arrested. This is no ordinary bell, but one of the oldest, having served dozens of generations. Made in 1423, it weighs 186 kilograms. Its value lies not only in its age but also in its precious-metal content: 32 percent, or 59.52 kilograms, gold is no small amount. Those accused of this theft, brothers Sokol and Skënder Ymeri and their friend Skënder Zaja, are residents of Shkodër. They intended to send this precious bell on its way to Greece, illegally, of course. The men were detained in the village of Vrakë and, according to Public Order officials in Koplik, questioning revealed that they had attempted to steal livestock from homes in the village, an attempted theft preceded by other thefts carried out by the same people. The bell had been missing for three weeks and was found at the home of one of those arrested. It is now in a room in the Police Department building, but it has been damaged: apparently, to determine the amount of gold, its two handles—the parts by which it is held—were broken off and sent to Greece. The case has been referred to the Investigative authorities.

SHKODËR — This time, the incident that set the KOP and Shkodër police in motion in an operation that has now been fully successful was the disappearance of the bell from the Church of Boga.

The Yugoslav citizen was wanted for murder and robbery SHKODËR — Yugoslav citizen Mihajllo Sejkoloci, who had been sought by the Albanian police for eight months, has been arrested by Shkodër police officers. He was detained at the Han i Hotit border post, on the border with Montenegro. According to city police officials, the case is under investigation. Official sources say that the reason the Albanian police had been searching for Yugoslav citizen Mihajllo Sejkoloci for so long was the “commission of various criminal offenses, including murder and robbery,” although it was not disclosed where or when these offenses had taken place. Information about his nationality and place of residence is also being withheld because of the investigation. The only thing known is that Sejkolocic remains in custody at the Shkodër Public Order Department.

TIRANA — “The red caste and its collaborators, who committed genocide against the people and inflicted violence and terror, must answer before the law.” This is another essential addition made by Parliament to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Albania on Monday afternoon. It is a law—a provision that did not exist in the previous Criminal Code—addressing grave and mass crimes against a people. Courts in various European countries that have a similar law have used it in cases involving war crimes. The International Court also intends to apply this law to crimes in Bosnia.

Alia: “I don’t receive a pension.” Nexhmija: “And I...” TIRANA — This is the brief story of two prominent pensioners: Nexhmije Hoxha and Ramiz Alia, alike as symbols of the old regime, yet divided by two records set against each other. This is about pensions: the dictator’s widow seems to be entitled to the largest pension in Albania, while the former president is protesting because he does not receive a single lek of what he is supposed to get. Let us look at the facts. From Tirana prison, where she has been confined for two years, Nexhmije Hoxha says that she receives a monthly pension of 3,000 lek, exactly twice the pension normally received by a person released from prison in Albania. “This is my husband’s pension...” the woman explains, “and it was set by the Political Bureau in 1985.” Today, she says she receives it regularly. But Ramiz Alia’s circumstances are completely different. “I still haven’t received a single lek as a pension,” he says, “and under the latest government provisions, as a former President of the Republic, I am entitled to more than a pension: also a house and a personal escort. My pension is not being paid, and I don’t even have a house: I am therefore forced to live in the one that belongs to my daughter. As for a personal escort, I have one policeman who watches over my place of house arrest day and night.” The widow Hoxha in her cell

VILSON AHMETI, AGON SALIU AND AGIM TARTARI TO GO ON TRIAL SOON — The Tirana District Prosecutor’s Office has completed its investigations into the criminal cases against former Prime Minister Ahmeti and two former heads of the Albanian Commercial Bank, Saliu and Tartari. According to Tirana Deputy Prosecutor Fatmir Fagu, their investigative file has now been forwarded to the Tirana Court for review. The charge brought by the prosecution is abuse of office, as the defendants are accused of having, while performing important state functions, favored French citizen Arsidi in withdrawing 1.6 million dollars from the Commercial Bank. KLEPSH: “ALBANIA, A MODEL IN THE BALKANS” — The President of the European Parliament, Egon Klepsh, called Albania “a model of religious harmony and an example of peaceful coexistence for the whole Balkans.” The German Christian Democrat Klepsh made this statement while speaking at a reception held in his honor by the Archbishop of Shkodër, Franc Lliha. Klepsh’s statement during his visit to Albania attracted great interest, even though a rift with the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church had recently occurred; its Archbishop, Janullatos, sided with Athens amid the tensions between Albania and Greece. ALBANIA BECOMES A MEMBER OF THE “ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT BANK” — On Monday, the People’s Assembly decided to ratify the draft law “On the membership of the Republic of Albania in the Islamic Development Bank.” Albania’s membership in the Islamic Conference, together with Parliament’s latest step, will create new opportunities to finance various projects in our country. ANOTHER 32 MILLION LEKË FOR INVESTMENT IN TIRANA’S WATER SUPPLY — The Government granted 32 million lekë to support investment in Tirana’s water supply system. The additional funding, approved at the Government’s latest meeting, was decisive, as work begun months ago to repair and modernize Tirana’s water supply system had come to a standstill. The recently allocated sum will also help implement the Bovilla water-supply project.

Meeting in Geneva for peace in Bosnia “Man, be careful, TV can make you impotent” Fashion: beautiful women in the fashion parade in Paris

Everyone dreams when they sleep. This is an extraordinarily normal fact, except that sometimes these dreams are so beautiful or so bad that they leave you amazed and bewildered when you wake up. But dreams can also be “warning dreams,” that is, they may contain a premonition, a warning about what could happen in the future. Every week “Gazeta Shqiptare” offers its readers explanations and interpretations of the objects and situations most often dreamed about. CLOCK Psychological interpretation: Because of its rhythmic operation, the clock is a symbol of the heart. A heart beating very fast indicates anxiety and stress, as though time—that is, the clock—had quickened its pace. Nervous people feel antipathy toward clocks because they are instruments that do not allow them to escape the iron and inevitable laws of reality. Thus, an image in which we try to destroy, abandon, or hide clocks is not a good sign for psychological balance. Predictions: A broken clock foretells changes in fortune. Losing a clock alters the prediction from positive, if the clock was working, to negative, if it was not. A stopped clock announces mourning. BEAR Psychological interpretation: A symbol of the dangerous forces of the unconscious, it represents what we must put in order through reason and bring under control. It may represent a very close male figure in our lives (a father, partner, or friend). Predictions: A bear foretells the presence of enemies and the danger of being attacked by them; a dancing bear brings bad news. HOSPITAL Psychological interpretation: This image may be connected to concern about the health of ourselves or our loved ones, but sometimes it represents an unconscious desire for peace, quiet, and care that is less physical than it is warmth and affection. Predictions: Finding yourself in a hospital predicts difficulties and bad news. BONES Psychological interpretation: Dreaming of bones generally causes great anxiety: the distress comes from the terrifying image and the bewilderment that follows. Bones, in fact, represent the end of all hope. When optimism runs out and depression triumphs, our visions in dreams cannot remain silent. Predictions: This image foretells suffering, hardship, and arguments. If we then dream that we are breaking bones, the warning becomes more serious, indicating the loss of friends; if we gnaw on them, we will be overwhelmed by worries. PACKAGE Psychological interpretation: Receiving a package or opening one is a fairly common dream because it reveals the dreamer’s desire and hope of receiving something from outside. Predictions: In general, what is expected is good if the package in the dream brings positive news and developments; but if the package is empty, then the news will be the opposite.