TIRANA, July 1 – Police say robbers managed to escape with about Euro 1 million in the spectacular movie-like scenario theft at the country’s sole international airport on Thursday afternoon, only less than 48 hours after tighter security measures were put in place following the deadly Istanbul airport terrorist attacks.
Tirana police chief Ervin Hodaj said armed and masked men carrying Kalashnikov rifles managed to steal at gunpoint slightly less than Euro 1 million from an armoured vehicle at the airport’s takeoff area.
The police chief blamed the incident on the airport concessionaire and lack of security measures by the private company it has contracted, saying police warnings had been neglected.
The senior police official said the airport’s outdoor area, its internal patrol, the planes’ parking area, the terminal’s indoor facilities and surveillance cameras are a direct responsibility of the ICTS company, which has been offering security services to the TIA concessionaire for a decade.
Chief prosecutor Adriatik Llalla has ordered the launch of probe into airport security officials and local state police after tighter airport security measures following the Istanbul airport attacks failed to prevent the robbery at the country’s sole international airport, a key hub for the national security.
This is the third time in the past 18 months huge amounts of money being transported by security companies on behalf of local commercial banks has been spectacularly stolen in broad daylight in downtown Tirana and just outside the capital with the perpetrators unidentified in all cases.
