Scandal at the border/ Veal smuggling network from North Macedonia to Albania uncovered: Food security is seriously compromised

Fiks Fare uncovered another scandal that seriously undermines food safety in Albania. Unchecked animals without any health certificates are being smuggled in from North Macedonia.

Following this information, the investigative show's team traveled to Greater Dibër. The smuggling takes place near the Bllata Customs and to date, no state institution, whether in North Macedonia or Albania, has investigated or cracked down on this network that has been operating for many years.

Fiks Fare has learned that animal smuggling takes place on the green border between North Macedonia and Albania. Smugglers, from both sides of the border, use several village roads. The animals, after being taken to farms in Dibër e Madhe, are taken by vehicles to stables on the border with Albania. Mainly calves and cows, stay near the villages of Spas and Taranesh.

The investigative show's camera filmed a stall in North Macedonia, which was used by these groups. Then, when night falls, the animals cross the border towards Albania. Residents of the area told Fiksi that traffic has not been interrupted for a moment. They said that these groups are connected to the North Macedonian Police and the Albanian Police.

Meanwhile, Fiks Fare has managed to capture moments when these groups cross the border with animals. The videos were taken a few days ago, on the green border, between the village of Spas in North Macedonia and Bllata e Poshtme, in Albania. Three people accompany the calves and cows. The place where they cross is very close to the Bllata customs. Surprisingly, none of the police or customs officers have seen this smuggling that has been going on for many years!

After these videos, a Fiks Fare associate goes to the “Bulliqi” farm in Dibër e Madhe in Macedonia to make a purchase to allow the calves and cows to cross. The farm owners tell him that they have been trading with Albania for many years. They show him some animals and tell him that these days it is a little difficult for them to cross, as there was a conflict at the customs point and they threatened a customs officer.

Fiksi goes to another farm, called "Kërkuti", where they are looking to buy two calves. The owner sends his collaborator to the stables, near the Dibra e Madhe - Bllatë road. They show him the animals and tell him that they have two calves, but now how can they get around this problem. They explain that they have been dealing with this trade for 25 years, importing animals from Macedonia to Albania, across the green border.

In both meetings, on these farms, none of the farms had a health certificate for the condition of the animals.

***

Conversation between Fiks Fare collaborator and the owners of the “Bulliqi” farm in Dibër e Madhe, North Macedonia

Fiction – Did I want to meet Bujar?

Owner – It's me!

Fiction – How are you, can I have a chat here at the cafe?

Owner – Yes. I have work to do here, I don't have time.

Fiction – Okay, okay, okay. I also talked to your brother.

Owner – Yes.

Fiction – What is his name?

Owner – Rexhep.

Fiksi – Rexhepin, and he told me that he would come here in 1 hour. To you, do you mean?

Owner – Yes, yes.

Fiction – Now I've come for the meat. We went through it a few years ago.

Owner – How much has it cost?

Fix – There's no problem with the price, the problem is the security. The transition, you mean?

Owner – That's a problem now. 250 euros is per cow now.

Fix – 250 euros? Was that the price, or has it increased?

Owner – He's upset because there are no cows now.

Fiction – No more, how much has it gone up (the price of cows)?

Owner – 3 euros.

Fiction – 3 thousand?

Owner – 3 euros, 3 euros.

Fiction – How about 3 euros?

Owner – Live weight (1 kilogram).

Fix – Live weight, huh. Even now 250 euros (border crossing), do you give me a guarantee?

Owner – I can't guarantee it, because there are no people.

Fiction – Isn't it happening this time?

Owner – It's not possible.

Fiction – And if it didn't happen this time.

Owner – There are no cows…

The owner's brother – 2 euros and 7, 2 euros and a half, 3 euros. Let's go check it out.

Fiction – Let's see, shall we!

The owner's brother – And it's not done at the border.

Fiction – How about at the border? Why not, I want to take it to do business?

Owner's brother – They caught a lot of calves.

Fiction – What?

The owner's brother – Many calves have been caught.

Fiction – Have they caught it?

Owner's brother – Many have caught.

Fiction – I got it. Show me that.

Owner's brother – That one over there.

Fiction – How much does it cost? What if you don't guarantee me the limit?

Owner's brother – No, no.

Fiction - I can't get into that job.

Owner's brother – This is it (points to the cow).

Fiction – It's good. For meat?

Owner's brother – Yes, for meat.

Fiction – So, there are no guarantees?

Owner's brother – No, there isn't.

Fiction – I came as always, you know and you mean it. You know, do you recognize it?

Owner – I know him (a trader who dealt in calves). If you have a problem (at the border), don't worry, we understand.

Fiction – You have to guarantee it to us.

The owner – Sh… (merchant) knows,

Fiction – I say Sh…?

Owner – Yes. He talks and…

Fiction – Should I talk to Sh…?

Owner – Yes.

Fiction – And let's fix it here?

Owner – Yes, there, I'll take you (to the border), go!

Fiction – I have a business, you know.

Owner – Yes Sh… you know that boss.

Fiction – Hmm.

Owner – You know, you know.

Fiksi – Okay, come on, cheers. Shall we talk again?

Owner – Yes.

***

Fiksi's collaborator goes to the "Kërkuti" family, which has a farm in Greater Dibër, North Macedonia.

Fiction – I wanted to talk to you, can I talk here?

Shime Kërkuti – I got it.

Fiction – For cow work.

Shime Kërkuti – For?

Fiction – Meat. I went to Bujar and he didn't take it on. You mean it, Bujar Bulliqi.

Shime Kërkuti – Bulliqi, yes.

Fiksi – He reported a fight to me at customs and told me we couldn't do it unless this other guy took it over.

Shime Kërkuti – Do you want to buy it now?

Fiction – Buy it! The bargain doesn't matter, what matters is that you pass it on.

Shime Kërkuti – Hip në makinë.

Fiksi – Ok, hajde. Ose shkojmë te vendi?

Shime Kërkuti – Shkojmë te stallat ne.

Fiksi – Bravo, te stallat.

Shime Kërkuti – Të takohesh me djalin, se unë…

Fiksi – Me djalin dhe kë të duash ti. Si e ka emrin, se ia harrova?

Shime Kërkuti – Rahmi, ai është komandanti.

Fiksi – Ai është komandanti, bravo i qoftë. Se ta harrova emrin ty?

Shime Kërkuti – Hashim.

Fiksi – Hashim ëë, Kërkuti?

Shime Kërkuti – Po.

Fiksi – Erdha po s’më mori gjë përsipër, u mërzita shumë, se na ka ngel biznesi e kemi ngelur pa punë.

Shime Kërkuti – Këtu është rrezik me i kalu.

Fiksi – Nuk e di tani, inshallah po e merr përsipër djali jot se për Zotin unë, këto zona s’i njoh hiç.

Shime Kërkuti – Këtu është pak rrezik, mirë do ishte …

Fiksi – Po ta bisedojmë njëherë.

Shime Kërkuti – Se para nja 4 netësh kishin kapur nja 9 copë.

Fiksi – I kishin kapur ë?

Shime Kërkuti – Po.

Fiksi – Ëë, prandaj pati frikë dhe ai Bujari.

Shime Kërkuti – Kështu ka qenë. Ishte në rregull puna për kaq kohë, po kanë kërcënuar atë komandantin e policisë të jujt.

Fiksi – Kë?

Shime Kërkuti – Arben e quajnë, e kanë kërcënuar me vdekje, me familje. Ka paraqitur në Policinë e Dibrës, është Shefi i Doganës.

Fiksi – Ëhë, po.

Shime Kërkuti – I Policisë, jo i Doganës.

Fiksi – Arbeni?

Shime Kërkuti – Arbeni! E kanë kërcënuar të jujt do t’a vrasim familjen.

Fiksi – E kanë kërcënuar ata ana shqiptare?

Shime Kërkuti – Ee çashtu.

Fiksi – Po.

Shime Kërkuti – Tani e kanë përforcu punën.

Fiksi – Ëë.

Shime Kërkuti – Se ishte mirë, se unë kam punuar 25 vite me shqiptarët.

Fiksi – 25 vjet.

Shime Kërkuti – Dhe s’më është kapur asnjë kokë. Më shumë prej të jujtve e bëjnë transportin. Se s’punojnë me ne, se ne jemi vendas.

Fiksi – Ëhë.

Shime Kërkuti – Me marrë 100 euro për kokë.

Fiksi – E marr vesh.

Shime Kërkuti – Kurse me të jujt e ka na lekët s’të njoh kush je.

Fiksi – Fiks, fiks. Arbeni është akoma drejtor dogane?

Shime Kërkuti – Shefi i Policisë, po!

Fiksi – Kanë qenë të lidhë ato dhe i kanë bërë presion, ia kanë shti tytën.

Shime Kërkuti – Kësaj i thonë … Unë kam punuar e s’më kanë nga.

Fiksi – Sa vjet, tash 20 e sa the ti?

Shime Kërkuti – 25 vjet unë kam punu. Unë kam pasur deri në 60 koka.

Fiksi – Për mi kalu, po.

Shime Kërkuti – Kisha bulmetore, kisha 25 lopë. Kisha 50 viça, 30 viça. Kemi punuar me një fjalë.

Fiksi – Po pse me … A dihet gjë kush ia ka bërë presionin?

Shime Kërkuti – S’e di, s’e di!

Fiksi – Kush guxon me e bë?

Shime Kërkuti – S’guxon me e kërcënu.

Fiksi – I kanë kërcënuar familjen?

Shime Kërkuti – Posi. Edhe atë dhe familjen.

Fiksi – Aty është tutur ai.

Shime Kërkuti – Është tutur se na ka lajmëruar neve që këtu në policinë kryesore e ka bërë përforcime.

Fiksi – Ka paralajmëruar Dibrën e Madhe?

Shime Kërkuti – Posi. Prej Dibrës këtu është ai.

Fiksi – Fiks, fiks, fiks.

Shime Kërkuti – Drejtori i Kufirit është.

Fiksi – Drejtori i Kufirit të Dibrës së Madhe?

Shime Kërkuti – Dibrës së Madhe.

Fiksi – A në rregull, unë thashë se i Shqipërisë!

Shime Kërkuti – Jo, jo i Shqipërisë.

***

Meeting between Fiksi's collaborator and Rahmi Kërkuti, at the "Kërkuti" family farm, on the Dibër e Madhe - Bllatë road

Fiction – How did you do it now?

Kërkuti Farm – Talk to the boy, he will give you his phone number.

Fiksi – I went to you, Bujari, but you didn't take anything from me. Cows, I want beef. And veal, what's there? Do you mean? I want ours alive.

Kërkuti Farm – We slaughter it, that's it. Do you have a butcher?

Fiksi – Butcher, we had a new butcher. But he didn't take over for me, that's why I came here.

The Kërkuti Farm – Tirana is big, no one else can take it over… But how are you going to get them there?

Fiction – I came for this job, I'm telling you the truth.

Kërkuti Farm – The police commander has been threatened by his family.

Fiction – So what are we going to do? Will we be unemployed?

Kërkuti Farm – You can take them from Qafa e Buallit, but it costs a lot.

Fiction – Yes. Is there any way to get there? Any acquaintances?

Kerkuti Farm – In Thanas Pass?

Fiction – Yes, Qafë Thane.

Kërkuti Farm - I have to ask, because you're going straight through, they understand, it costs a lot.

Fiction – And so, what did you see!

Kërkuti Farm – In black is more appropriate.

Fiction – He told me 250 Bujari, he gave me a price of 2500 per head.

Kerkuti Farm – Who?

Fiction – Will you give me a solution?

Kërkuti Farm – You have come at the worst time. The police commander and his family have been threatened, and it has become …

Fiction – But for what reason?

Kërkuti Farm – They threatened him, there were some problems, they were caught and arrested, a stable was burned down... they even threatened the commander.

Fiction – What is his name?

Kërkuti Farm – Arben.

Fiction – We don't have a chance, do we?

Kërkuti Farm – Yeah. We go through customs, just me and Zirko, for the sake of our father. That night when the problem happened, I went through, they didn't say anything to me, they shook my hand, how are you?

Fix – Okay, will you give me a phone number?

Ferma Kërkuti – I often come to Tirana, we talk there.

Fiction – Let's have a coffee, no worries.

Fiction – Name please?

Kërkuti Farm - Rahmi Kërkuti.

Fiksi – Okay, I'll take you with luck, Rahmi.

Kërkuti Farm - Message me on messenger.

Fiksi – You should have told me, come on… I'll come quickly, because we've made our way to Arbër.

Kērkuti Farm – Would you like to buy meat there?

Fiction – No, meat, no, I don't know. The price is not the problem, the problem is the passage.

Kērkuti Farm – That is my job, that is my job

Fiction – Okay, calculate, tell me.

Kërkuti Farm – (Shows the calves) This red one…

Fiction – Oh, I see.

Kërkuti Farm – 12 euros per kilo goes to us.

Fix – 12 euros a kilo here? It costs more here.

Kërkuti Farm - Tirana has it more expensive, Tirana wants organic meat.

Fiction – How much do you have?

Kërkuti Farm – We do a shopping that day, a week ago or two weeks ago.

Fiction – Yes, apt words

Kërkuti Farm – Find out for yourself.

Fiksi - He told me to stay calm, your son. Does he know anything about what he does with that job? Does he have time?

Shime Kërkuti – Yes, yes, for 10 years, we have been in agreement. We have been in agreement on prices, on regulations, on transportation. It is a commodity that costs money, it is not a 100 euro job.