Another 31 criminals across Albania are also on the list page 11

The main thing that catches everyone’s eye in the daily news reports of these past few weeks is the intense activity of police forces in their fight against crime. Not a day goes by without reports of police operations, the dismantling of gangs, the arrest of wanted individuals, and even “bosses” of the criminal underworld whose names had almost become legendary, as in the cases of Gaxhai and Kateshi, and culminating in the capture of the Italian mafia boss of “Sacra Corona Unita,” Giuseppe Moulo, whom not even an experienced police force like the Italian one had managed to get its claws on. Of course, it would be wrong to think that crime is now living out its final days, especially given the general situation in Albania, the links between the Albanian mafia and those in several other countries, and, above all, the links between crime and certain political and financial circles in the country. Indeed, there have also been officials within the Public Order structures who collaborated with criminals. Specifically, criminals leaving their bases moments before police forces arrive is just one aspect of these links and of cooperation between crime and politics. This also explains the campaign of changes that Mr Poçi introduced in the police structures when he took charge of the public order portfolio. And current successes seem to vindicate his choices. But what matters is that the police’s current offensive has made criminals live through the most difficult period of recent years, while optimism is growing among police ranks and confidence in ultimate success in overcoming crime is taking shape. On the other hand, the police’s current successes refute the argument about the “incompetence” of the Albanian police, the “lack of resources,” etc.—pretexts that Poçi’s predecessors had at the tip of their tongues at government meetings or any other forum where they were required to account for themselves. All this shows that the current Minister of Public Order, Spartak Poçi, is determined to fulfil his mission of restoring security and calm in the country. It is quite possible that his successes so far are linked to another factor. Unlike his predecessors, Poçi has not been influenced by political motives. Specifically, starting with changes among police chiefs and continuing with the strikes against crime, he has severed many of the threads connecting crime with politics and the financial mafia. In this respect, it must be said that some well-known names from the PS or its allies have also suffered the consequences. It is now clear why opposition to Poçi’s appointment as Minister of Public Order came mostly from his own party. There are still some threads in the ministry, with people who work in the blue ministry by day but count the mafia’s money from Kapshtica or the drugs from Saranda by night.

Father and son had been arguing for years over a property dispute Berat: Father massacres his son’s family with a bomb His daughter-in-law and little granddaughter are killed at home page 9

It has been almost 15 days that Saranda has had no police chief. During these 15 days in Saranda there have been no murders, no rapes, no robberies, no cases of smuggling, not a single... The city’s gangs have not been heard from for 15 days. So peaceful, these days without a police chief...