In addition to cases of theft, drug trafficking or murder, Albania also reflects positive examples in Italy.
The story of Maria and Albana, two Albanians, who work as sanitary workers in the "Galluzo" pharmacy in Florence, has attracted the interest of the media beyond the Adriatic.
The two friends, in charge of cleaning the premises of the pharmacy, found the strength to act instinctively, stopping and disarming a person who entered to steal.
An armed thief waited a few minutes in line at the pharmacy, disguised with a hood and a scarf to cover his face, and when it was his turn, he pointed the gun at the employee, demanding the money.
"I was cleaning the shelves near the entrance of the pharmacy, I saw from afar that that boy had pointed the gun at Dr. Elisa, who lay down under the counter, I was afraid that she might have died. Then I saw that the robber had put the gun on the counter, I didn't think about it for a second, I instinctively went towards him, trying not to look at me. I took the gun from the counter and ran towards the exit of the pharmacy with the gun in hand, while he followed me", says Maria, 39 years old.
Between Maria and the robber, there was also a fight. Maria fell to the ground, dropped the gun, but her friend did not leave her in the mud.
Albana runs to get the gun and leaves with it. The robber follows Albana, they pass through the streets of Piazza del Galluzzo, then Albana throws the pistol on the asphalt, the robber takes it and disappears.
After that, Maria and Albana returned to work at the "Galluzzo" pharmacy. Maria is 39 years old, has lived in Italy since the age of 19, is married and has 3 children.
Albana has two children, has been in Italy for 23 years. Both were born in Shkodër, arrived very young in Italy to join their husbands. What happened in the pharmacy is not considered a heroic gesture, but a protective instinct towards vulnerable people.
"Our action may seem like a heroic gesture, but in fact we acted with instinct, a protective instinct towards ourselves and towards other customers of the pharmacy, there were many people at that moment, including a mother with a child of only 2 years old" , the Albanians said.
Although they still haven't forgotten those strong moments, they say they slept peacefully. Maria and Albana also address the robber with a clear message: "We want to tell him not to do such a thing again, but also to tell him that it is not worth destroying your life for a few hundred euros." Shall we forgive him? I don't think we are ready to forgive him."
In the end, the two women originally from Shkodra have a comment about all foreigners who are prejudiced. "Sometimes there is prejudice against foreigners who commit crimes, this time we are happy that we have contributed to the disarmament of a criminal, who, from the accent of his speech, looks like a Tuscan (Florence)", Maria and Albana conclude.