Investigators get on the trail of a bloodthirsty gang It consisted of 23 members and is accused of serious crimes. Six people have been arrested The group was formed during the March unrest. Mass robberies were its main activity BY ZEMRA TIRANA—More criminals are being uncovered. A highly dangerous group, which operated for a long time in Vlora, managed to make the police’s life difficult. Arrests made some time ago, together with the operational work of the local police, have revealed that the gang consists of 23 people, while only 6 have been arrested so far. “They are accused of numerous robberies and thefts, and are also suspected of murders,” prosecution sources said yesterday. According to them, the gang came into being at the very beginning of the March unrest and committed many criminal offenses. Sources emphasized yesterday that “the gang has 17 other members who are still at large.” The names of those arrested, as well as the others, are being kept secret, while the police are preparing for the final strike. On Sunday, the prosecution is expected to launch its operation; in this case it is working to gather as much evidence as possible to substantiate the charges brought against the gang. Sources in Vlora said there had been pressure, and that, alongside this, there were concerns about the large number of detainees crowding the holding cells. “We have nowhere to take them,” the concern was conveyed to Tirana. On page 7

Former president Ramiz Alia TIRANA—Ramiz Alia has been urgently admitted to intensive care. The former president, the last of Albania’s 50-year dynasty, was rushed to hospital on Saturday night. Severe heart attacks and breathing difficulties put Alia’s life at risk on Saturday evening, when, according to sources from the cardiology intensive-care unit at the University Hospital Center in Tirana, he arrived in a relatively serious condition and distressed, and remains so at present. The doctors describe the condition of the patient brought into intensive care in recent days as serious. At 74 years of age, according to hospital information, Alia has received medical care, mobilizing the entire cardiology department. During the doctors’ daily rounds, it is reported that the professors caring for Alia have advised that he not be upset by anything, even limiting visits from family members. Some relatives of patients in nearby beds say Alia was brought in in poor health, but there has been— Children who have worsened their lives again. Ali arrived on Saturday evening, when, according to sources from the cardiac intensive care unit at the University Hospital Center in Tirana, he was admitted in a relatively serious condition and remains there at present. The doctors and all the service staff have been ordered not to allow anyone to communicate with Ramiz Alia, who last night lay pale on the left side of the intensive care ward, under the care of the most renowned professors of cardiology. The nurses on duty say that his medical file was not made available to them and was later removed from there to avoid excessive attention. Meanwhile, no special room has been set aside in intensive care for the former First Secretary, who is in fact in the same ward as several other patients in ...

NEAR THE POLICE BERAT—A battle in one of the city’s neighborhoods. Bullets fired by rival groups claimed the life of an innocent man who was watching them from his balcony. Another person was also wounded. The police arrived late at the scene, but their investigation enabled them to identify the perpetrators. They are being sought, while the entire neighborhood where they are believed to live has been placed under surveillance. On page 5

Decision yesterday TIRANA—The PD will return to Parliament very soon. Positive signals came directly from Berisha yesterday at a press conference. Yesterday, the Democratic leaders said nothing about the features of a new election. “A political force that has no parliamentary life is dead,” Berisha said yesterday. Unlike the aggressive language used at Saturday’s rally, the Democrats have called for a model of positions on both sides. On page 3

Three more speedboats intercepted DURRËS—Undocumented migrants reappear off the coast of Golem. Inflatable boats and motorboats set off under cover of darkness on Saturday night toward the Italian coast, but border forces managed to stop two of them. Three inflatable boats and one powerful speedboat had become visible to border guards three nights earlier. Six people were stopped, along with an inflatable boat carrying 5 tons, while from Italy the Guardia di Finanza forces returned 40 people, including 12 Kurds. Before the pursuits at sea had even ended, the local police began a broad operation to intercept any speedboats that might be transporting undocumented migrants. On Saturday evening, taking advantage of the good weather and calm sea, the organizers of the trafficking of undocumented migrants attempted to send their usual cargo of undocumented refugees toward the Italian coast by inflatable boat and motorboat. On page 6

Godo: “We no longer have time to wait” TIRANA - The Constitution is ready to get started. “We no longer have time to wait.” This is what its co-chairman, Sabri Godo, said; yesterday he also announced a letter that will be sent to the Union for Democracy inviting it to participate in the Commission. Meanwhile, the Commission’s other members stressed that any further delay would be excessive and that work on the first draft of the Constitution—which will be placed on the Commission members’ desks—will actually begin in mid-February.

TIRANA - Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi will come this Friday to the inauguration of the first “Fiera del Levante” fair in Albania, scheduled to run from May 27 to 31. This was confirmed to the president of the “Fiera del Levante” company, Francesco Divella, by Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi himself. The visit is intended to demonstrate the particular interest in, and importance attached to, cooperative relations between Italy and Albania. Divella gave the Italian Prime Minister an overview of an event that will not only be a very important economic occasion, open to the entire Balkan region, but will also be accompanied by numerous social and cultural events aimed at raising awareness among Albanian institutions and the public. Prodi stressed that this fair is an important occasion, demonstrating the ever-closer dialogue between Albania and Italy, which should develop at both the regional level, through the direct strengthening of relations with the region of Puglia, and at the national and European levels. “Bari and Tirana are the pillars of a bridge destined to connect the European Community with all the countries of southeastern Europe by means of the giant highway being financed by the European Union,” Prodi said. The Corridor VIII initiative, which will connect Durrës with Bulgaria, has made Italian private companies very interested in cooperating with Albania. For this reason, the fair has been entrusted to the renowned trade-fair organizer “Fiera del Levante,” which has promised to make a maximum effort for the event. The Albanian company that will work with “Fiera del Levante” is “Klick Ek-spolck”. “It is not known what venue will be allocated to the company, since a government decision does not allow Albania’s most prestigious venues, such as the Pyramid or the National History Museum, to be used for trade fairs. A few days ago, the Minister of Trade and Tourism, Shaqir Vukaj, stated that only the premises of the former ‘Shqipëria Sot’ exhibition can be made available for organizing fairs. In any case, Vukaj said that the former exhibition premises will be renovated and improved to give them the appearance of a proper exhibition center meeting European standards.

The race for the Constitution starts now

“Cassette war” between Islami, Brojka, Shehu On page 2

High-school fight: student killed On page 5

Tirana hospital in its worst condition On page 4

Sagittarius in ’98 On page 8