CIGARETTE TRADE It was 19 July '93 when the first arrest was made. The balance sheet of a year of war against the phenomenon of illegal trade... Smuggling, 10 wanted Investigations extend across the whole country TIRANE — "The arrest of ten more people involved in cigarette smuggling is also being sought." The latest confirmation for Gazeta Shqiptare — from Toni Frroku — gives the newest signal of the authorities’ counterattack to get both the gang and what we might call the long-running scandal line in Albania, which began a year ago — 19 July '93 — when the Lebanese citizen Nabil Sibini was arrested, accused of smuggling and "Cooper", along with the Tirana veteran in Buret 20 different people, all in the facts of "smuggling". The charges, according to the official documents, include "abuse of office". Along with the traders and customs officers, almost all the cigarette brands currently circulating in Albania have been placed "under accusation". H, such as "Cooper", "LM", Marlboro", "Karelia". "Pariserienne", which are now of course being investigated only for the quantities that — according to the indictment — were verified with irregular documentation, concealment of the real quantities of the shipment, or even non-payment of customs duties. "For the ten people for whom the arrest warrant has been drawn up," comment officials at the Prosecutor’s Office, "there are many reasons for the search to be announced by the law-enforcement authorities." Because of the secrecy of the investigation, the concrete details of the case still cannot be made known, apart from the fact that all of them are accused of crimes and aiding and abetting smuggling, by hiding cigarettes. The latest person arrested on this charge was — a few days ago — the Kosovo citizen Diamant Diamanti. Viktiva Kalosh Bilali. Meanwhile, nine other individuals came under this investigation before him — and among all these with defendants — with charges in an individual manner. Their names were: Nabil Sibinit, Vilma Nushi, Majlinda Hido, Mihal Praso, Arben Lika, Marko Shurgu, Vasil Naco, Kosta Sotiri, Xhemail Hani, Thoma Doci, Il, Sami Shurpi, Thoma D[?].

Fier, doubts and worry Lead in the blood: 21 cases already The first sick people are identified; 500 more tests are being carried out in Italy FIER — Concern in Fier over the initial results of tests on the amount of lead in the blood of many residents of this city. From the 61 chemical tests set up at the entrance to the city hospital emergency room, 21 names of people have already been identified, all of whom have an increased level of lead in the blood. For some others, the results are doubtful and the analyses will be repeated. The suspicions of an increase in the percentage of lead in the blood arose some time ago. It was precisely these suspicions that prompted a joint group of Albanian and Italian doctors, who are currently conducting analyses on around 500 residents of the city. These analyses have now been sent to an institute in Italy, from where the final results will also come. Meanwhile, for the people who underwent the analyses, a form containing 12 questions has also been distributed, which they must answer. They concern family habits such as: What quantity? Have you used it before? What kind of smoke? Do you work in the chemical industry? Have you had dealings with lead or not? How long do you consume it and how much? These are some of the other questions. The home environment is important, regardless of the colour and paint; specialists are convinced that the percentage of lead in the blood should not be of a serious character. En. My.

Durrës Port works begin DURRES — The first phase of the reconstruction of the Port of Durrës has begun. Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi and Minister of Transport Fatos Bitincka also took part in the official ceremony organized for the occasion. The work to modernize the largest Albanian port has been financed by a World Bank loan with a grant from the Kuwaiti Fund. 8.7 million dollars will be spent on a very large amount of work. 2,500 square metres of yard, 15,000 square metres of internal roads. This marks a significant first step toward turning this port into one of the most important maritime transit points in the entire Adriatic region. On the other hand, another telling signal also comes from Durrës. The many ships standing at anchor unload in a closed wave in aid. Now the sinking stain has become large. The sea has turned into a heavy poison and special rules, specialists think, will at least have to be applied with great caution to stop the damage caused to nature and tourism. (p.r.e.)

A troubling discovery by experts TIRANE — "We are concerned by the fact that in many of the buildings being constructed today throughout the country, anti-seismic safety rules are not being applied." TIRANE — "We are concerned by the fact that in many of the buildings being constructed today throughout the country, anti-seismic safety rules are not being applied. The consequences of earthquakes can only be eliminated if, first of all, measures are taken to ensure the stability of structures. Only in this way can the loss of life and material damage be limited. In the very end..." Betim Muço, Director of the Seismological Service Centre in Tirana, expresses his concern about a new issue that has emerged from those carrying out work in the construction sector. The Centre has already asked the Ministry of Construction — in the name of the Academy of Sciences — to check the files of the objects being built beforehand. It is a document approved in 1989, but which builders today have not implemented. It is precisely this code that defines the parameters to be applied in constructions depending on the seismicity level of the building zone. On the other hand — according to Muço — another phenomenon has also been noted. "There are many multi-storey buildings that have recently been designed," says Director Muço, "that were designed without first obtaining our official opinion. The studies on the soil where these buildings will rise have mainly been based on seismological data submitted privately by various individuals. Naturally, this is not normal, since we are the only official institution specialized in carrying out such studies." Where the ground shakes... Map of risk areas in Albania: FATOS NXHAKU TIRANE — This is not a simple problem of taking measures to withstand earthquakes. Small Albania is one of the most seismic countries in Europe. In the Balkans it ranks behind Greece and Turkey, two states that face tremors and shocks almost every day. According to the seismic network drawn up by specialists from the Tirana Seismological Centre, part of the whole country falls into the study evidence in just nine degrees (Shkodra, Korça, Tirana, Elbasani, Kavaja, Lushnja, Fieri, Gjirokastra, Saranda, Peshkopia, Kukësi — and the most populated regions of the country are in the 8-degree intensity zone. In popular memory there still remains the stark terror of the devastating earthquake of 15 April 1979 in the Shkodra area, in the north. "The strong one" was the centre of the destruction zone with magnitude — between? — in the early hours of the morning of 9 June, when many citizens were still asleep. The toll of the tragedy was heavy: 100 dead, 500 injured and 1,500 houses destroyed. It must have been an almost fantastical landscape that observers of the nation saw then. It remained destroyed in the territory? leaving from the body, banks and Albanians. The Buna River was almost filled with strange forms. For more than a year, the citizens of Shkodra were unable to rebuild their homes. More than 600 other strong shocks made any attempt to begin normal life useless. The Albanian government of those years decreed "move houses". Its relocation to a place where it is spread today is precisely the result of those sad days, when the earth’s buried damage was compounded by the destruction of the victims. Many years later strong tremors were felt here and there and once again the dead were mourned. These times, in the cold winter — 30 November 1967 — a 9-degree earthquake was strongly felt in the Peshkopi area. Within Albania alone it shook 11 cities. According to 174 injured, 584 houses were completely demolished and here too there were many serious consequences. Only weeks later — on 15 April 1979 — another earthquake struck again the Shkodra area. This time too there was the first overthrow. The tremors caused many victims, 88 dead and 381 injured. The earthquake, centred in the Adriatic, was strong. It reached 9 degrees on the Richter scale, with a magnitude of 6.8. Map of risk areas in Albania: High-risk area Medium-risk area Low-risk area

Fier, the execution of the condemned man is turned into life imprisonment FIER — He was the first person sentenced to death in 1994: a few days before the Tirane Court condemned him to capital punishment, the first city of the Riviera was making noise over Tirana’s head. But Luan Isufi, 20 years old, will have a different fate. The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, who had the final word on making his sentence executable, has decided to give him life. Isufi will thus serve a life sentence for the original fact after the court had proven the charge for the 1993 murder, in Rrogozhinë and Fier, of police officer Elidor Toro. Toro had just come from Greece with Isufi. A quarrel had started between them that ended tragically. Elidori was massacred and a few days later Luan shot in Durrës. Later, on 14 January of this year, the sentence of first-instance death, and shortly afterwards that of the Court of Appeal. Cassation. But Albanian law provides, before the execution is carried out, the signature of the President of the Republic as well, to whom Luan Isufi had sent a request for pardon. In the request approved at the last minute and which gave him life, one phrase would have been able to justify the act almost innocently and this perhaps could serve to awaken reason. Elidori: the death of his murderer could not have brought him back to life, and the life sentence remains a sentence for eternity, to be endured, predetermined in life and. As for forgiveness, it is always a great act of remembrance. And from a human perspective we know that for a truly heavy person — an innocent victim of absurd violence — another can continue to live. Even while suffering eternally. (his unfortunate words). c.b.

The Regulatory Plan is approved LUSHNJE — The city of Lushnjë will now be even bigger. A special urban planning study — approved a few days ago by the National Territorial Regulation Council — provides for an expansion of the city’s building line, which will thus bring about an almost doubling of the current area. The main reason for this study — the Council’s decision to review the expansion of the boundary line to 192 hectares — was mainly the growing demand for housing from the population. Currently, of 3,950 potential requests at the city authority, only 1,300 are met. On the other hand, forecasts for future population growth — by the year 2,000 the city is expected to have 31,000 inhabitants, while by 2,005 more than 50,000 — were another incentive for the city to undertake urban planning. The city expansion project — only residential areas are planned within 40 hectares of surface area — has also taken into account improvements to the residential area structure. Conditions, it will benefit from the normal function and connection of the new area with the old area of the regulatory plan, with respect for the city’s existing infrastructure and its improvement, and the preservation and enhancement of the natural landscape. The practical modification of the area will also be conditioned by land problems. Ar. Me.

Pilgrimage TIRANE — The Albanian pilgrim has returned home safe and sound after his Arabian adventure, having been considered lost in Mecca for a long time. Kasem Rustami, a Muslim believer from Kavaja, had lost contact with the Albanian group in the confusion that prevailed during the days of Bajram i Vogël in the holy ceremony of the Muslims. For 8 days he went on through the desert in Saudi Arabia. Rustami was considered missing. This event and the accidental detail of the latest? of the city of Durrës and in notes of sadness the return of the group of Albanians who rejoiced to the homeland, but now, after a few days at the National Muslim Committee? signed for Gazeta Shqiptare that Rustami had returned home tired, but in good health. Rustami had in fact travelled through the Saudi desert by bus like the rest of the Albanian group, but with ovulon? in supervisory company and ki? and helped him to get out of the unpleasant situation. (basis).

SOLD? M?NA? ZORRO? INDIA? INURATED IN THE FRONT PAGE OF THE ? COLLECTION — In a special ceremony yesterday the lane and the premises of the new base of the line of [Unreadable text][?] were inaugurated FOR THE M? ATTACKER, REMIKU U? HAD ? COLE FROM THE BUDGET ??? Z? officials of the Parliamentary Council of Ministers, the Commission of [unreadable text][?] CURRENT? T? H?R? E?T?PUT?L?SVE FROM [unreadable text][?]

IN BRIEF KE election results bring problems Groups seek balance ON PAGE 2 2 billion from the budget for economic aid But who has benefited from it? ON PAGE 7

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Free today GAZETA SHQIPTARE GUIDE TO THE USA '94 WORLD FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP 36 Today in some of the Albanian Centres, our readers will be able to find it free as the World Cup '94 supplement. It is free? the newspaper insert where you will read about all the biggest teams, football stars, and the history of the championships. Attention? The price of the newspaper is always 10 lekë.