
A 66-year-old man, owner of a hotel in Vaqar, has been arrested by the Tirana Border Police, after allegedly harboring 7 immigrants from Sudan and providing them with transportation to Koplik, with the aim of illegally crossing the border towards European Union countries.
During the operation, two shotguns, ammunition, 7 cell phones and two taxi vehicles (Lux Taxi) were also seized.
Police announcement:
The police operation codenamed "Stafeta" is being finalized, to crack down on a case of providing assistance for illegal border crossing, in return for profit, to immigrants from Third Countries.
The owner of a hotel where 7 immigrants from Sudan were sheltered has been arrested.
The Investigation Section services at the Local Directorate for Border and Migration in Tirana have finalized the police operation codenamed "Stafeta", within the framework of which the citizen PS, 66 years old, resident of Tirana, was arrested in flagrante delicto, for the criminal offenses of "Assistance in illegal border crossing", "Actions that hinder the discovery of the truth" and "Unlicensed production and possession of hunting and sporting weapons".
From the investigative actions, it is suspected that in the hotel he owned, in Vaqarr, Tirana, this citizen had sheltered several foreign citizens, to whom he had provided means of transportation (taxi) and had sent them towards Koplik, with the aim of illegally crossing the border, with the destination being EU countries.
The Tirana Border Police Services have been following 2 vehicles (taxi), and have coordinated the work and cooperated with the Shkodra Border Police Services. As a result, both vehicles were stopped, in which 7 citizens from Sudan were traveling, who were proceeded at large for the criminal offense of "Illegal crossing of the state border".
Also, the materials were referred to the Prosecutor's Office, where proceedings have been initiated against the taxi driver, citizen P. Gj., for the criminal offense of "Aid for illegal border crossing".
During this operation, two shotguns, one of which was suspected to be held without a permit, shotgun cartridges, 7 cell phones, 2 vehicles (taxi) and the hotel's guest registration book were seized as material evidence.
The procedural materials were referred to the Prosecutor's Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction of Tirana, for further action.