Interpellation by Minister of Interior Taulant Balla in the General Assembly:

“Thank you for the opportunity you have given me through this interpellation to inform the Assembly and the public about our efforts in the fight against crime and other issues or questions raised.

Let this interpellation also serve as accountability, on my part, while I have the honor of having been Minister of Interior for 300 days. The most widespread news about Albania today, regardless of your point of view, is the international certification as a safe tourist destination.

Today we can hold our heads high and say with pride that Albania’s image, tarnished by a long and difficult past, has been cleansed once and for all. What do tourists say when they come to Albania when you ask them what they like about Albania? The first word they articulate in 90% of cases, is safety. And we are talking about tourists who come from Europe, from North America, from Asia, from countries with a high level of safety.

They are tourists who normally come from countries where safety is not a problem, but the truth is that these tourists feel very safe in Albania.

Safety,” they say, and then continue with the sentence, “You go out at night in Tirana and you have no feeling that someone will steal your watch or bag! As with some European capitals, where you can’t walk at night”.

This is Albania as they see it with an objective, impartial eye because I am sure that you and I see Albania with different eyes. I take the opportunity here to thank all Albanian citizens who have respected our customary code that “the home of the Albanian belongs to God and friends”. The protection and care of the tourists, clothed with the “status of special importance” that they should have, is very much related to the project of the future of this vital industry for Albania.

We wrapped up the year 2023 with ZERO fatal criminal incidents against foreign visitors! We have to do everything to keep this positive trend going. Our vision “Albania 2030” is based on the irreversibility of the achieved progress. Albania, the Balkan champion in tourism, with a higher level of safety.

I have probably said too much, but I did it also to share with you the need for more support that we have to offer the State Police, which with its 10,000 officers will have to cope not only with the task of protecting public safety of our communities but also with the 14 million foreign visitors that we expect in 2024.

Dear colleagues,

Precisely for the reasons I emphasized above, we need to have and offer more support to the State Police. We are in the final stage of consultations with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance to enable a high salary increase for the employees of the State Police on July 1.

In these 300 days at the head of the Ministry of the Interior, I have had the opportunity to meet with most of the State Police and to listen carefully to each member of this force. The results achieved so far stand at the beginning of returning the rule of law against organized crime.

I believe you also agree that in the territory of this republic, there can be no more “tough guys”, there can be no more “tough guys” over the law, over the citizens, which not so long ago, even when stopped by the police were escorted out of the police station, or with the help of verdicts bought by market justice.

The fight against organized crime and the improvement of public safety is the priority of this government. The crackdown on criminal groups is intensifying every day. Two more underworld figures have just been arrested in Italy and Spain and will be extradited to Albania.

The year 2023 also marked the lowest number of criminal murders in Albania in the 30 years that numbers have been kept.

There are 35 (murders), listen carefully, compared to 107 in 2013. This is an indicator that is used in all countries, 35 in 2023, 107 in 2013, and 124 in 2012. 28 of these events were discovered. And unfortunately, 1/3 of them are domestic crimes.

I have asked the local police departments to increase the prevention and strike force regarding the most basic gender violence, and we must offer as much support as possible to the victims of violence, who are our mothers and sisters. 4,698 cases of domestic violence were registered and 2,030 perpetrators were identified.

Allow me to share with you the latest report of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, which assesses the progress or regression of countries in the fight against crime. I share with you the pride of every Albanian that in the report for the year 2023, Albania has the highest reduction in the level of criminality compared to all the countries of the Western Balkans, but also to other EU countries.

We improved by 0.46 points, a difference from all the countries I told you. This positive change in the rating is reflected in our country’s ranking. We are no longer in the black 10 of Europe in terms of crime. I can also give you the report to read. The month of April 2024 was actually another good month in which we, fortunately, did not lose any lives to gun crime.

Let’s go back to the public accountability that you called me to this meeting to talk about. In the last 300 days, the police have organized and completed 1,054 operations, resulting in the arrest of 6,693 suspected perpetrators of various crimes.

415 firearms, over 500 cold weapons, hundreds of grenades, and about 1,700 kilograms of explosives, which are always a source of serious criminal events, have been confiscated.

Remember that we are a country that is still suffering from the disastrous consequences of the year 1997. It is also important to emphasize that, thanks to good investigative work and timely intervention, 156 potential criminal incidents that could have resulted in the loss of human lives were prevented.

The fight against drugs and drug cultivation remains one of our undisputed priorities. During the year 2023, when you said that the gang heads are missing, we are talking about groups, 28 criminal groups with activities in the field of cultivation were hit.

– 171 police operations were conducted;
– 335 cultivation cases were hit.
– 293,047 narcotic plants were destroyed, and 273 citizens were arrested and charged.

Seized during 2023:
– 4 tons of cannabis sativa;
– 62 kilograms of heroin,
– 23 kilograms of cocaine, and
– 11,300 doses of ecstasy;

Here, allow me, because I am a little worried, to make a comparison, since you have this “drugs, drugs, drugs,” “narco-state,” etc., to make a comparison with 2013, when the Minister of the Interior was the chief deputy leader, as he calls the deputy prime minister Gjekmarkaj. I quote Commander Bastioni of the Guardia di Finanza in a press conference on August 5, 2013: “In Lazarat… the narcotic substance can reach 900 tons, while the value of its sale can be 4.5 billion euros… We have taken pictures from the heights that testify to the reality in Lazarat…”.

That is, the drugs produced in Lazarat were twice the size of the entire state budget when you were in government. This is the narco-state, and don’t yell at Tritan because you’ve seen the good, but I understand you! Your heart aches for what you have lost.

The fight against the disturbing phenomenon of drug use is making schools and communities safer every day.

During the two nationwide mega operations, Temple 1 and Temple 2, 32 criminal groups have been hit and 1,225 people have been brought to justice, who are also the leaders, producers, distributors, and traffickers of narcotics. Yes, I read for you the 1225 names one by one.

The Local Directorate of the State Police will give you the names, respecting the right to the presumption of innocence, and the good thing is that in 98% of the cases, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Court have approved the request for “prison arrest”. For those who know something about justice, they understand very well that this is also the key to success.

I am very proud today, as the Minister of Interior, that we have Albania as a member of the global coalition against synthetic drugs, not only as a member but as a regional leader, and to tell you that, thanks to the vote here in the Albanian Parliament, we have taken serious steps in the fight against synthetic drugs, but also concerning substances that harm the health of young people, such as N2O gas or other substances that are harmful to health.

The National Operation “Rule of Law” is producing the long-awaited results. I am frankly telling you that this operation remains focused on those who are the problem of every neighborhood and every community. Those tough guys of the neighborhood who do not allow the community to live comfortably, who roam with weapons without a permit, an intolerable expression of hatred toward the State, and also those characters you mentioned who avoid justice.

As for the “rule of law”, 2509 citizens were arrested. 350 people were found and arrested in Albania in national searches and 83 in international searches.

The State Police is gaining more trust not only from the public but also from the authorities of partner countries. And I am ready to share with you the results of a respected survey on citizen credibility and respect, be they democrat or socialist citizens, towards these police operations. 80% of socialist and democratic citizens support the operation that guarantees the safety package in schools, that guarantees safe schools and guarantees the removal of smugglers from schools, and also, the same correlative is regarding the support for the operation “Rule of Law”.

As for the attack on impunity, we have arrested 103 people in Albania with the purpose of extradition abroad and 104 people from abroad with the purpose of extradition to Albania, and among these figures, there are “big heads” of organized crime and international drug trafficking.

It is also worth emphasizing the fact that for the first time, we have extradition or deportation, whatever you want to call it, from countries with which we do not have extradition agreements, as was the case in the last days of last year of Ruben Saraiva, a person accused of a serious criminal event that happened last year in Albania.

As for economic crimes, in the field of economic-financial crimes, during the year 2023, 3395 cases of criminal offenses were recorded, with 4017 perpetrators, and also, we are proceeding with the part of the seizure of illegal assets acquired from corruption and organized crime and we will bring it here to the assembly, where I believe we will have your support, alongside the law for the Asset Recovery Office or even changes to the law for the management of seized and confiscated property.

I totally agree, thefts are a big problem and let me tell you that in these 300 days, about 600 thefts have been solved, where a significant number of those that are called problems have been solved. I agree, especially in rural areas, this is a concern, for chicken thieves, and not only, this should be the daily focus of the State Police.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The importance of the uniform worn by the State Police should make the society reflect on – re-dimensioning attitudes and support for public safety, for which the State Police is the basic guarantor and it is shameful what each of you does, hitting the employees of the State Police performing their duties, insulting the State Police employees. Never forget that the uniform of the State Police is the State itself. Whoever attacks a uniformed officer has attacked the state.

The self-purification of the State Police, I have no doubt, as I said on the first day I took this job, is the vital process to ensure a high level of trust. My goal is to make the State Police, together with the support of the government and the legislators, the most trusted institution in the country.

It’s true, I signed an order when I asked the Police Oversight Agency to check the use by police officers of encrypted applications used by criminals, either “SKY ECC” or “ENCROCHAT”. During the period July 2023 – April 2024, the Police Supervision Agency made 227 referrals to the Prosecutor’s Office for employees of the State Police who spoiled their uniforms and violated the oath, where 349 employees were referred, of which 65 employees were arrested by the police in the meantime, only within 300 days. The number of employees referred during 2023-2024 has increased by almost 42% compared to the previous year.

Here, allow me to address the concern that you mentioned, that you only quote as it serves your needs. As for a statement, you have Mr. Dumani here in the Assembly and you can ask him. The head of SPAK is right to be concerned because from January 2020 to January 2024, SPAK investigated 69 police officers. Now, from July 2023 to April 2024, we have referred 349 and arrested 65 through PSA.

I would like to emphasize that the cooperation with SPAK and the prosecutions of the general jurisdiction are essential to advance the process of police self-purification. This process must advance a series of measures that we are taking, among which the Law “On State Police” to the Assembly, which should be a broad discussion where the contribution of the opposition is welcome because in the end, we all accept that the State Police is the basic institution of guaranteeing public safety in this country, which needs everyone’s support.

Minister Balla: I thought you would be more prepared for this interview, but in the end, the most serious criminal act in your estimation was a nail. Regarding your concern about the progress of the review process, remember that the law says that only the top part of the State Police, a force of 300 people, will go through the vetting process.
In the last 3 months alone, we have 33 decisions, 19 of which are confirmations in office. So we are talking about 3 months, and 33 decisions, which is not a small number. It is an ongoing process, remember. It is not like the vetting process in the judicial system. This is such a process that anyone who comes into the governing body has to go through, and the institution that does that is PSA.

My focus as Home Secretary is to strengthen the monitoring and preventative capacity of the PSA. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the US government and the ICITAP program with which we are working every day to train PSA officers. I would like to guarantee you and the public that the process of self-purification of the State Police is vital.

Regarding the applications you mentioned, I can provide you with the EUROPOL report, which lets us all know that none of the European police is immune to this link between crime and state police employees.

Regarding the issue of appointments, you should know that appointments in the State Police, except for the General Director, fall into the duty of the General Director, while the General Director is appointed on the proposal of the Minister and with the Prime Minister’s approval.

And never forget that we are studying and we will discuss with you the law of the State Police that for the leaders, not only the General Director or heads of departments, but also the leaders of DVPs, the time has come to have a mandate. It can be 3 years, or 4 years, like in other countries, to end a history of chaotic movement and to guarantee a career.

But I want to say to every employee of the State Police that if you want to make a career in the State Police, you need integrity, willingness to fight corruption, and without a doubt, the public’s trust in the State Police must increase. The goal is to make the State Police the most trusted institution in the country.

Answer to the Parliament of the Minister of the Interior Taulant Balla with the MP of the opposition Noka:

Head Deputy Leader, as Vice Deputy Leader Gjekmarkaj calls you, why go into details and discuss numbers? You didn’t come because you were asleep in the morning when I reminded your colleagues of a number that my colleague Shalsi mentioned, which is the most important number to make you shut up about once and for all and that you can never talk about.

The figure that you read when you were in the office that I hold today, side by side with the Director General of the State Police, Hysni Burgaj, the Commander of the Guardia di Finanza, Bastioni, on August 5, 2013, and I am reading it again: “In Lazarat, narcotics can reach 900 tons. While the value of their sale can be 4.5 billion euros. We have taken pictures from a height that prove the reality in Lazarat”. To make it more understandable for you, if we refer to the state budget 3.3 billion dollars, and with the exchange rate, coincides with what Mr. Shalsi said: “The state budget at the time you closed it, which you will never return to, was twice less in value than the amount in value of the cannabis you grew and sold!”

But I really want to talk about the air traffic control “Albkontroll”, because if we have a real European passport “Albkontroll” is 100% “Made in Europe”. It is the fact that we are members of the EU, but I am not going to talk about that because of the years I have been in this room, I have been impressed by the next attack towards another institution of justice.

In this case, I don’t know why, I have some doubts, but why are you attacking the School of Magistracy? Until today, at least I have 20 years, it has never happened that one of the political parties has attacked the School of Magistracy. The reason why it hasn’t happened is that since 1997-1998, this school, which we have all accepted in quotation marks as the “handover of sovereignty”, we have entrusted to those who are our most important partners. Since 1997-1998, make no mistake, we have entrusted the certification or the secrecy of the process to the OSCE. We told OSCE that it should be you. There are many projects, thanks to the American taxpayers, through which the American Embassy is present in its support projects, because after all, it is the source of judges, backed by the Council of Europe and many other partners.

It is a process that takes place with a digital device, with a Scantron, a process that has been clarified, as I have followed, in public, as you have also followed. So it is clarified and there are no issues. The process continued normally, when the device received the pages, the evaluation was redone, everything was finished. None of those who are there have any complaints. Why do you complain? Then we go to the problem of finding a piece of mud and then find who should be hit.

It was here that I heard that you had beaten the headmaster of the school, the respected lawyer Arben Rakipi. Here I realized who the problem is. Flamur, I have only one question: how is it possible that you, as the deputy leader, reproduce, but with errors in form and content, all the mud produced by your former leader under house arrest?!
From 1992 to 2024, your political “father” attacked one after another. He attacked Prosecutor General Maksim Haxhia, he attacked Prosecutor General Arben Rakipi, he attacked Prosecutor General Theodhori Sollaku, he attacked Prosecutor General Ina Rama. And now you are attacking Chief Public Prosecutor Olsi Çela and the head of SPAK Altin Dumani.

You leave no room for anyone to protect you because you are consistent. They have not left any prosecutor general, except Adriatik Llalla, for reasons that I will not explain here. Here is the icing on the cake. Just as you have attacked all the attorney generals, you have attacked all the American ambassadors. First to last! Except for Ryerson, who was quickly gone. You started with Mariza Lino, then you went to John Withers, then to James Jeffrey, Marci Ries, and so on, then to Arvizu, Donald Lu, and Juri Kim, and now we are waiting for the next ambassador who just passed the Senate to come and do the same!

How is it possible that you attack both the Attorney General and the American Ambassador?! How is it possible, Flamur? So raise your head!

You come here in the morning to take the floor and ask for responsibility, part of which is not ours, when it comes to an attack on a magistrate, like the one that happened on Sunday in Shkodra, which I said was a test for the Shkodra police and that once it is completed, together with the prosecution, it is something that we absolutely have to clear up so that the masquerades do not start against the new justice that is being born in the ruins of the old one. But time has come for some of you to come to your senses. Every one of these judges, from the head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, to the Attorney General, to Mr. Rakipi, and all the others are family men first. You are the last one who can talk about “security” stories, Flamur. Don’t do that, because if those desolate letters are opened, you don’t know how it ends!

You know very well how it worked in this hall, Dashi, most of you have been here for a while and I know very well. Anyway, we’ve tried, and don’t forget, you promised, but we made opening the files a reality.

So, Flamur, take back what you said, apologize to the Magistracy School, it may have been a dream for you, but you chose to be doctor, and like that other doctor, you never worked in the profession!