Alarm even at the Ministry. Ceka: “Step up the checks” Hundreds of cars have disappeared in just a few months. Most of them were Mercedes. An illegal network controls the traffic in stolen cars. Where do they end up? Hundreds of cars have disappeared in just a few months. Most of them were Mercedes. The Mystery of the Stolen Benzes. Alarm even at the Ministry. Ceka: “Step up the checks.” An illegal network controls the traffic in stolen cars. Where do they end up? TIRANA - A super-network of car thieves is operating in the capital. This is the conviction of police experts and investigators from the district Prosecutor’s Office. “It can hardly be otherwise, when up to 13 cars are stolen in a day and they ‘disappear’ like salt in water,” one of them says. Over the past months, around 400 cars have been stolen and robbed in the capital, most of them Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The thieves work professionally, using duplicate keys. Nevertheless, the mystery lies in the cars’ final destination. They are stolen at a high rate, while the police have rarely managed to recover them. This gives rise to suspicions that these gangs have a reliable network. It is also thought that the stolen cars are taken to a parking lot on the outskirts of Kamza, as well as to a distant northern network. From these two places, the “Benzes” are turned into spare parts, stripped-down shells for car graveyards, or profitable goods for the Montenegrin market. While the mysteries continue, yesterday the Ministry of the Interior is said to have discussed this very phenomenon. On page 6

Starova: “Fight against violence, reduce the number of teams in the First Division, and rapid privatization” . Starova: “Fight against violence, reduce the number of teams in the First Division, and rapid privatization.” On pages 9, 11

“I was misunderstood.” Heated debate in Parliament, too. Godo tells him: Resign now “I was misunderstood.” Protectorate: Nano’s Statement Sets Off a Storm. Heated debate in Parliament, too. Godo tells him: Resign now. TIRANA - Another storm in Albanian politics. Nano’s statement about an Italian protectorate over Albania has caused further shock and confusion in certain sections of Albanian politics. Diplomats and analysts, both local and foreign, were also astonished. But politicians from the right and center were the harshest in their reactions. While Sabri Godo called yesterday for Nano to reconsider his remarks and denounce the newspaper, and even to consider resigning, other colleagues of the Republican said that the Prime Minister’s statements were irresponsible and absurd. Melo, Bushati, Selfo and others joined this line of criticism. However, a response also came from the Prime Minister’s Office, from spokesperson M... [cut off] “It wasn’t exactly said that way; there has been a misinterpretation,” Nano’s spokesperson also said, giving the actual version of the Prime Minister’s remarks in the Italian daily newspaper. On pages 2–3 Italian soldiers from the “Alba” mission

Italian soldiers from the “Alba” mission

They also had the CEC seal First arrests made TIRANA - Those who were defrauding people in the name of the state have been caught. They are believed to be the biggest counterfeiters discovered so far. Following numerous reports about them, a highly organized operation coordinated among various police units led to the detention of two counterfeiters. Around 180 different seals, which had been the two detainees’ tools of the trade, were seized. In addition to Albanian institutions, the police headquarters of Italy’s main cities were also forged. Along with them, a large number of international, diplomatic and service passports were confiscated by the police. The investigation is still confidential. There are also questions about the use of the Central Election Commission’s seal. On page 8

The May massacre ELBASAN - The leader of the Cërrik gang has been arrested. Recognition by a police officer at a checkpoint alone made it possible to catch a highly wanted man. The prosecution has confirmed the charges brought by the police. He has been remanded in custody and taken to the city of Elbasan. Roland Xhepaxi and two other people were stopped at the entrance to the city. The 29-year-old was entering the city with his two friends at around 7:00 p.m., after a trip to the city of Gramsh. Near the village of Lixhë, the police checkpoint ordered the car to stop. All three presented themselves as ordinary travelers, and when the police asked where they were going, they replied: “We’re students and we’re going to the dormitory.” On page 5

REPORTAGE / Don’t forget us... TIRANA - “Guards, the poorest people.” A report from Albania’s most secure prison. What are the problems and working conditions of the guards at Prison 313 in Tirana? How much are the director and an ordinary police officer paid? Who are the people guarding the leading figures of crime? How was Muharrem Haka’s visit to his village arranged through the traditional pledge of honor? Promises of pay rises keep these people’s hopes alive. On page 8

LAÇ Miners threaten to strike “They haven’t paid us” On page 7

GJIROKASTËR Border chief recounts illegal trafficking “Here’s where the smuggling passes” On page 5

BERAT An hour-long battle between two clans in a village Police: They didn’t notify us On page 5

HE LIVED IN THE ALBANIAN MOUNTAINS TIRANA - “Ferenc Nopça, this dinosaur of science.” Mitrush Kuteli’s phrase was not a rhetorical flourish at the gathering held yesterday to mark the 120th anniversary of the birth of the Hungarian Nopça, one of the most distinguished Albanologists of this century. As reported by ATSH, the gathering took place on Tuesday morning in a hall at the National Historical Museum in Tirana. Nopça, who spent 17 consecutive years in Albania and became more Albanian than the Albanians themselves, would even tell Albanians what they were. These were some of the conclusions reached by one of the speakers gathered for the occasion. To speak in a few words about what Nopça meant for Albania and for its anthropology, ethnography and ethnology would, naturally, require much more time than was allotted, and it would take a great deal to complete the— —knowledge that Albanians themselves have acquired about their country. The important thing is that in this way we also remember people who have wept for us, as Noli says, “when they laughed at us,” and we also remember their works about us, which lie gathering dust, unpublished. Nopca in a photograph by Marubi

TIRANA - For shops selling trees, decorations and toys, Christmas and New Year have arrived ahead of schedule. Many shop owners have temporarily changed the purpose of their stores. Even portable “shops” have adapted—not so much to create a festive atmosphere as to do business. And the holiday season is, of course, the best time for profits. Without even mentioning children’s toys, the holidays seem to have no meaning. Gifts and clothing for our loved ones cost much more this year. A more imposing artificial tree, “made in China,” costs 6,000–6,500 old lek. If you are content with a symbolic tree, which seems to have brought a tiny Father Christmas the size of a postcard, you have to pay around 2,000 lek. For true nature lovers, it seems the campaign to cut down fir trees—or, more accurately, junipers—has not yet begun. It should be remembered that natural trees, too, are imported this year. Opposite the Te-ekom building, an old man is selling trees brought from Florence, which cost 4,500 lek. “Last year they cost only 3,500,” says the old man. The beautiful shops seem almost endless. The house where Christ was born in the year 0 costs 4,900 lek at the end of ’97. Prices for decorations sold on the street are easier on the pocket. Starting at 150 lek and going up to 500 lek, the tree begins to fill with lights, colorful baubles and Father Christmas figures, while pockets begin to empty little by little. The trendiest toys—revolvers, rifles and Kalashnikovs—now cost more than in March, when real ones cost 500 lek. The noisy and highly problematic firecrackers, during the New Year period, are among the cheapest items, costing 20–120 lek. The most respectable and economical way to keep the tradition while staying within budget remains greeting cards. A greeting card without too much frill or music costs just 15 lek. Among them are plenty of attractive ones, “on the back,” with beautifully drawn gifts. In the end, these are what make the New Year. Linda Spahia

They also had the CEC seal; The May massacre; REPORTAGE / Don’t forget us...; LAÇ They also had the CEC seal. Hundreds of fake seals. The May massacre. The Boss of Cërrik Ends Up. REPORTAGE / Don’t forget us... Prison Guards, the Other Side of Prison. LAÇ. Miners Threaten