TIRANA, Nov. 8 – Data made available by Interpol this week shows Albania is the country with the highest number of international fugitives in the region.
Albanian police are internationally seeking 160 people — most of whom accused of murder, criminal activities, owning guns without a permit, drug production and trafficking, prostitution, family violence, etc.
Appearing in Albania’s list of people internationally sought are names related to the alleged ties of politics and crime.
They include high-profile fugitives like Dritan Zagani, accused of fleeing his pre-prison location, Izet Haxhia, accused of murder in special circumstances, and Hamdi Haklaj, accused of murder. Present in Interpol’s documentation shows pictures of Haklaj showing his physical change through the years, and potential locations on his whereabouts.
Also part of the Interpol dossiers are female fugitives, such as Zylfije Haklaj, member of the Haklaj family, accused of murder. Other names include those of Cetina Zajmi, accused of fraud, and Aurela Doksani, accused of drug trafficking.
The involvement of Albanians with Islamic radicalism and propaganda is another aspect that has placed two names in the Interpol dossiers – with Albanian authorities seeking Shyqyri Kaca and Mehdi Mallari.
In comparison, the representing figures of neighboring countries are mild, despite their considerably bigger populations. Italy, a country of 60 million citizens, infamous for its high level organized crime, has only declared, in cooperation with Interpol, 14 people to be in search.
Similarly, Montenegro has declared 8 people to be in search, Bosnia and Herzegovina 114 people, Croatia and Greece 1, Bulgaria 76, while Serbia, Macedonia and Turkey, have declared no citizens to be international fugitives.
