Albanian police arrest five persons for arms smuggling to Kosovo
BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - April 24, 2008 Thursday

Text of report by Albanian official PD party newspaper Rilindja Demokratike, on 23 April

[Unattributed report: "Five People Arrested for Arms Trafficking to Kosovo"]

Police forces have arrested five people, two of whom from Kosova [Kosovo], in an operation codenamed "Dungu" on charges of "illegal trafficking of weapons and ammunition" and of "assisting in illegal crossing of the border." "Dungu" operation was organized on Monday evening [21 April] in Burrel following a police investigation. The spokesman for the Tirana District Police said that "Albanian citizens Naim Dungu, 42 years old, Shaban Sulmeta, 46 years old, a petty officer in an army barracks in Burrel, and Behar Dungu, 33 years old, from Burrel, and Kosova citizens Arben Beka, 18 years old, and Ali Peci, 38 years old," had been arrested. The same source said that they had been caught in the act just outside Burrel travelling in the direction of Tirana.

According to an investigation conducted by the anti-trafficking police in Tirana, it has been established that the trafficking route of the weapons and ammunition went from Burrel to Mitrovice [Mitrovica] in Kosova. According to the investigation, Arben Beka and Ali Peci were buying weapons and ammunition from Naim Dungu, Behar Dungu, and Shaban Sulmeta. During the arrest, the police seized one automatic rifle M56, 6,320 bullets M56 and M54, an Audi car with the Kosova number plates, 1 Madens motorcycle, 350 euros and 21,200 leks, and a passport in the name of Naim Dungu.

Five days ago, the police also arrested a man in Elbasan on suspicion of "trafficking weapons and ammunition." Police sources said that the suspect, Shengjoni, 31 years old, was apprehended on Friday [18 April] in Elbasan during an operation codenamed "Colt," which was organized by the State Police in cooperation with the Serious Crimes Prosecution Office. During the operation, the police seized three handguns, a 9-millimeter Browning, a Colt, and a 7-millimeter Browning, and 342 bullets. It is thought that the weapons and ammunition have entered the country through a mail shipment that the suspect had sent from Netherlands, where he used to live for several years.

Source: Rilindja Demokratike, Tirana, in Albanian 23 Apr 08, p7

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