Tirana cooperates in apprehending the murderers
An investigator recounts the stories and exploits of the “tough guys”
They left Albania with the first waves of emigration. They kill for money
TIRANA - Foreign criminal organizations have “imported” Albanian killers, who are paid to commit murders. A senior crime officer at the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday that “based on information received from time to time, the view has formed that in the West, individuals or criminal organizations pay professional killers who come from Albania. ‘Two of them are from Elbasan, three from Vlora and one from Mati,’ the senior official says. The professional killers have chosen this profession, lured by large sums in foreign currency. ‘They have mainly committed murders in Albania and then left for the West,’ the officer says. Sources specify that ‘the paid killers have operated in Italy, Germany, Greece, and also in America.’ They target prominent figures, but also lesser-ranking people, rivals or witnesses. ‘Such a phenomenon cannot be ruled out, although we have not documented any specific case,’ says Interior Minister Neritan Ceka. In Tirana, meanwhile, it is suspected that paid hands are behind the mysterious killings.
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Police Will Protect Informants
THE LAW IS CHANGING
provides for substantial legal protection for ordinary citizens who voluntarily agree to report various criminal activities in their communities to the police. “Citizens who inform the Criminal Police will now have special status and greater financial benefits,” experts from the Prime Minister’s Office commented on the new draft Police Law. Meanwhile, the broad range of draft laws expected to be approved later by Parliament also provides greater legal protection for ordinary police officers and other people directly confronting criminals. “Police may shoot at criminals who attack them without warning,” says the law, which is now under close consideration by the Nano government.
TIRANA—The government is giving legal recognition to police “informers.” Within the next week, the Albanian executive will pass a special draft law prepared by specialists from the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of the Interior, which
On page 3
PD Has SHIK’s Videos: “Show Them on Television”
About last year’s tragedy
TIRANA - PD demanded the SHIK videotape of the events of March. “A lot of prominent figures will be burned when we publish the secret materials,” Vili Minarolli, PD’s Secretary for Public Relations, told Gazeta Shqiptare yesterday. Meanwhile, reliable sources from the Democrats’ headquarters specified that these are archived film clips substantiating the links between today’s government officials and the leaders of the southern gangs. Dissatisfied with the final report of the Ngjela commission in Parliament, the Democrats appear set to offer other versions of the March tragedy. “Those tapes contain horrifying footage,” said Ylli Vejsiu, a PD MP who declined to make public the names of those implicated. PD has asked TVSH to broadcast in full the materials that it will provide from its offices. Otherwise, the Democrats say they will find more open ways to publish them.
On page 3
Poison Attack Against Residents of Vlora and Fier
Braho responds after Ngjela: This is how it would have been done
TIRANA - Poison attack on Vlora and Fier? The sensational news emerged yesterday, it seemed, when Spartak Braho also described the plan that had existed for a deadly offensive against these cities.
It was a military scheme that had been devised in the offices of the Ministry of Defense, but it is not known why it was never put into effect. Socialist Braho stated in Parliament the previous day that if these poisonous chemical weapons had been used against these cities, their populations would have suffered considerable damage, potentially resulting in mass casualties. The news in question is believed to have shaken the population of the southern areas, which had in any case been aware of such a plan, though not of the details disclosed in Parliament.
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Alia’s operation: Athens provides a vision for the procedures
The former president receives the visa
TIRANA - Ramiz Alia receives the Greek visa. The Hellenic government has granted the former President permission to undergo surgery in Thessaloniki.
This evening, 73-year-old Alia is expected to arrive at the hospital, where the heart surgery will be performed.
Ramiz Alia has won the right to cross the Greek border. Although he has no international passport, the last Communist President received an entry visa to the neighboring country yesterday. Humanitarian considerations prevailed over the rules, and so he will have the opportunity to undergo surgery at the hospital in Thessaloniki. Alia is expected to be admitted to the hospital this evening. On Saturday or Sunday, the 73-year-old will undergo heart surgery performed by cardiologist Panayotis Spirou. A few days ago, this doctor visited Alia in Tirana and decided that surgery was necessary. According to the cardiologist, this operation was essential to the former President’s life. A few weeks ago, Spirou successfully operated on the heart of another Greek politician.
A few days ago, Ramiz Alia suffered a heart attack, which greatly worsened his health. After he was admitted to hospital, his condition improved, but doctors deemed immediate surgery on Alia’s weakened heart necessary.
Police apprehend 27 clandestine migrants
VLORË
TIRANA - 27 clandestine migrants are detained on the Vlora coast.
A police operation was carried out against these people as they were preparing to leave for Italy. According to reports, the migrants had come from various cities to board the speedboat that was ready to depart.
There were 23 people from Lezhë, 3 from Shkodër and 1 from Pukë who were detained yesterday by the Vlora police directorates. Following the recent Otranto tragedy, the police have organized numerous operations along the coastline. After the detentions in Kavajë, the departure of speedboats was blocked in Vlora yesterday as well.
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A series of measures along the border
TIRANA - It has been decided to launch an anti-smuggling “storm.”
A lengthy meeting yesterday at the Ministry of the Interior, attended by all the directors of police departments, determined that greater efforts would be made against traffickers dealing in all kinds of goods. Starting today, the directors will transmit orders to their local units to set up numerous checkpoints and carry out full checks on national roads, along the coastline and at the border. “Smuggling continues, while other illegal forms of trafficking continue at the same pace,” was the conclusion reached by headquarters, which requested detailed explanations from the directors about the actual situation in their cities.
On page 9
The Metallurgical Plant Escapes a Serious Malfunction
ELBASAN
Braho responds after Ngjela: This is how it would have been done
Poison attack against residents of Vlora and Fier
The former president gets a visa
Ali’s operation: Athens gives the green light to the procedures
VLORA
Police arrest 27 illegal migrants
SMUGGLING
A series of measures along the border
Students to the Prefect: You Must Protect Us
FIER
On page 5
Mariza Lino Promises Help for the City
DURRËS
On page 7
Kola’s anger: An atomic bomb has fallen on Tirana
CONTROVERSY AT THE CAPITAL’S CLUB
On page 11
“Is there any hope for me?”
Sunday on TVSH, at 12:00
On page 2
Kola and Minga at the farewell party
