Page 13 - Gazeta AFP

Tuesday, 13 march 2018
E martë, 13 mars 2018
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13
ENGLISH EDITION
CRIME AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT
TERRORISM MAY FIND HERE
innocent people are put in danger, are con- stances to European coasts, also trans-
sidered to be cases of terrorism. And in port military weapons and ammunition.
this aspect, the reason or the motive why There's a strong suspicion that these ar-
this happens doesn't really matter. So, maments are not only destined for orga-
they can have a religious motive, an eth- nized crime, but there's also the risk that
nic motive, an ideological motive, but it may they may be used by terrorist groups
also occur for reasons of rivalry between operating in European countries. In this
gang groups. However, in every case, aspect, there's added pressure on Alba-
they would be considered to be terrorist nian authorities to fight traffic routes,
acts. which are not only related to drugs, but
One of the main criteria that the EU has also to weapons that can be smuggled
set out for Albania as a priority to be met across the border. In a recent media in-
is the "fight against organized crime, traf- terview, while presenting the work done
By PLATOR NESTURI fic of narcotics and terrorism". In political by police, minister Xhafa singled out the
debates and on the media, we have often work being done by law enforcement
This article has been written for heard the issue of organized crime and agencies against terrorism, as, accord-
Albanian Free Press newspaper traffic of narcotics being mentioned, but ing to him, this issue is not mentioned
very often on the media. This makes us
the issue of the fight against terrorism has
been mentioned very believe that neverthe-
esterday's events in Tirana, little. We have often re- less, we remain a coun-
where an explosion took place lated the problem of ter- One of the main criteria try which is threatened
in a mobile phone shop, has led rorism in Albania with the that the EU has set out for not only by conflicts
Y authorities to suspect that the participation of Albanian which are settled
blast has taken place while a bomb con- nationals in Syria along- Albania as a priority to through the use of ex-
nected to a mobile phone was being manu- side ISIS and as an ele- be met is the "fight plosives, but also by ter-
factured. This is one of the main leads ment which is mainly against organized crime, rorist acts. So far, ter-
that police mention. They also mention the linked to the propaganda rorism has been seen
being spread by these traffic of narcotics and as something exotic,
may have been placed in the mobile phone groups. A trial was also terrorism". In political which happens away
beforehand, while the device had been held against a group of debates and on the media, from us, somewhere in
taken to be repaired. While authorities imams and individuals in the East and that we
need to conduct further investigations on Tirana and Kosovo, who we have often heard the have only taken cau-
this, the case in question makes the is- encouraged different issue of organized crime tious measures against
sue of terrorism resurface once again, people to join ISIS in and traffic of narcotics the introduction of ide-
meaning that in the country there is a Syria. But there was also ologies which may be
market where bombs are manufactured a strong reaction and a being mentioned, but the sponsored from abroad.
and used and these bombs are not just displacement of the issue of the fight against In fact, many portals are
used for criminal acts, but they also cause match between Albania alleged to be sponsored
significant damages to civil population. and Israel from Shkoder to terrorism has been men- by money coming from
The best case to illustrate this is the event Elbasan, following a tip off tioned very little countries where terror-
that took place in Shkodra two weeks ago, that there could be a ter- ism is a tangible reality.
where a blast caused the wounding of six
people who happened to be at the place rorist attack in the stadium. Meanwhile, the But we must not forget that since the mo-
ment when it was decided to accept in Al-
subject of terrorism seems to have disap-
where the explosion occurred. peared from the media vocabulary. Mean- bania 3000 mujahedeen, who oppose the
Up until now, these events have been while, it is known that when attacked, ter- Iranian government, there's an added in-
treated as criminal cases, where different rorism becomes more sophisticated. terest for Albania from Iran, not only in
groups involved in illicit activities settle If we consider the reports issued by terms of subsidizing portals. This means
debts with each other, but they are also foreign police agencies, especially after that we're not very far from hot zones. And
treated as cases of explosion in business different terrorist attacks in Europe, this requires a bigger engagement by au-
premises due to competition. But all over there's a growing concern that groups thorities in order not to allow terrorism to
the world, explosive blasts, where lives of dealing with the traffic of narcotic sub- find any space here.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Albanian Free Press' editorial policy