"Flame at sea" and other operations/ Albania-Italy cooperation, 40 people arrested

2023-10-25 18:30:00, Aktualitet CNA

"Flame at sea" and other operations/ Albania-Italy cooperation, 40

Photos from the meeting

The Deputy General Director of the Italian State Police, Prefect Vittorio Rizzi, was in Albania this Wednesday. He, Prefect Vittorio Rizzi and the accompanying delegation were received at the meeting by the General Director of the Police of Albania, Muhamet Rrumbullaku.

The meeting focused on the results of cooperation so far, the fight against drug trafficking and other crimes, the crackdown on criminal groups operating in both countries and the capture of internationally wanted nationals.

In particular, the anti-drug mega-operation coded "Flame at Sea", which took place in Albania, with support from the Guardia di Finanza and the Italian Interforca, was evaluated.

"The numbers that we can mention in the framework of cooperation with Albania, I can say are excellent. It is only worth mentioning that there are 14 joint investigative teams, as well as 40 internationally wanted persons who have been arrested, numbers that we do not reach with any other country within the framework of cooperation. I remember a few years ago the controversy that came from the fact that there was a lot of cannabis that was produced in Albania and transported to Western Europe. Thanks to the cooperation we have had in recent years, we can say that this problem has been significantly reduced" , said Rizzi.

Rrumbullaku said that the cooperation between the Albanian Police and the Italian Police is a cooperation based on trust

"The cooperation between the Albanian Police and the Italian Police is a cooperation based on trust, which has been gained through concrete work in the direction of joint investigations and operations to combat organized crime and illegal traffic. There are no barriers or filters between the two police forces, there is cooperation at the management level and at the operational level. The Italian Interforce office in Albania has a special role in this cooperation." , said Round.

Also, during the meeting, it was agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of training, for which EU4LEA has played a special role, as well as for the twinning of the educational programs of the police academies of the two countries./ CNA