TIRANA, March 20 – Police disarmed and arrested a suspected bank robber who held a teenage girl at gun point for almost an hour near the presidential office in Tirana on Friday.
Romeo Leka, 25, born in Lezha, had reportedly served time in the US for narcotics trafficking. His family had immigrated to the US in 1998. Leka was deported to Albania after several arrests there for drug trafficking, armed robbery, bank robbery and weapon possession according to Tirana police chief Tonin Vocaj.
He was deported from the United States in 2007.
After robbing a certain amount of money from Raiffeisen Bank branch at Rogner hotel, Leka held a 19-year old law student at gun point for nearly 30 minutes.
Police and Special Forces units then sealed off the area and were able to get close to the suspect and eventually disarm and arrest him.
Failed bank robbery, kidnapping
Change font size:
Latest from News
Saudi Ambassador Presents Credentials To Albanian President As Ties Gain Momentum
Change font size: - + Reset Tirana Times, June 05, 2026 – Saudi Arabia’s new ambassador to Albania, Turki Ibraheem Almadhi, presented his credentials to President Bajram Begaj, marking the formal start
Germany’s New Enlargement Formula and Albania’s European Illusion
Change font size: - + Reset For Albania, the real issue is not which accession model Europe chooses, but whether democracy, rule of law, and state integrity can still be restored. By
Pushing Against Inertia: How Harnex Is Testing the Balkans’ Appetite for Innovation
Change font size: - + Reset Tirana loves a good spectacle. Walk through the capital today and you are greeted by sleek new glass towers, vibrant urban spaces, and a relentless political
Shadow Fleet, Weak Oversight: How Russian Sanctions Evasion Reached Albania’s Ports
Change font size: - + Reset Tirana Times, May 18, 2026 – Albania’s ports have emerged as a potential weak point in the international effort to enforce sanctions against Russia, following revelations
Albania–Italy Migration Deal Continues
Change font size: - + Reset Tirana Times, May 13, 2026 — The Albania–Italy migration agreement remains in force, despite a brief but politically sensitive controversy triggered by comments from Albanian Foreign Minister Ferit