TIRANA, Sept. 8 – On the second day of the ‘Force of Law’ police operation, currently taking place in Shkodra against the city’s criminal groups, state police announced the arrest of four persons as suspects of involvement in criminal activity, as well as the seizure of some weapons, combat ammunition and other illegal materials used by these groups.
At a press conference held at the premises of the Shkodra District Police Directorate, general deputy director of the state police Aida Hajna announced that after several months of intensive investigation in the activity of the suspected groups and in the function of investigating the recent criminal events that took place in there, Ilir Rustemi (Bajri), Emrah Plaku, Astmer Bilali and Erogen Brajovic were arrested, while another individual is currently wanted by the police.
Hajna added the operation, assisted by special police forces, is ongoing and more arrests should be expected in the near future, echoing Minister of Interior Fatmir Xhafaj’s words from last week.
Six murders have occurred in this city over the past three months, five of which are allegedly related to unresolved conflicts between criminal groups. Meanwhile, as of August 22, there are two missing persons in Shkodra whose fate is still unknown.
So far, none of these serious events has been discarded by the police and this has added uncertainty and guesswork in the city
The ‘Force of Law’ police operation began in Shkodra in the early hours of Wednesday, after the opposition boycotted the opening of the new parliamentary season on Monday to call an extraordinary meeting in Shkodra to denounce the crime which, according to the opposition, is supported by state organs.
Meanwhile, Xhafaj described the United opposition’s stand as “a deliberately aggressive attack to create a wrong perception of the country’s order and security, and undoubtedly to blackmail the police and country image.”
Over the past 28 years, Shkodra has been ranked among the cities with a high number of murders, mainly for blood feuds or other criminal offenses, but the murders in recent months are suspected of being linked to the clashes and the activity of criminal groups which have had and continue to have the support of both sides of the political spectrum.
