Is Albania Europe’s new marijuana capital?

Lazarat is a city notorious for cannabis crops worth billions. It's seemingly off limits to the police
BY BESAR LIKMETA



Lush strip of green: Nine-tenths of villagers are believed to take part in marijuana cultivation. (Credit: Besar Likmeta/GlobalPost)
This article originally appeared on GlobalPost.
Global Post GJIROKASTRA, Albania — The last time police tried to enter the mountainside village of Lazarat near this historic southern city last summer, they prompted a ferocious firefight a local police commissioner describes as “very much like a real war.”

Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of being ostracized, he said he was part of a special forces operation during which sniper units occupied high ground as SWAT teams moved in to arrest a handful of people working in fields surrounding the village.

They were no ordinary fields: Lazarat is known as Albania’s drug capital, notorious for its cannabis and lawlessness.

The annual crop earns almost $6 billion, according to the Italian financial police.

Although local police dispute that figure, they admit that marijuana production is booming.

Last year’s raid didn’t last long. When officers began cutting down cannabis plants, 15 SUVs mounted with heavy machine guns materialized and started firing.

“We were drawing indiscriminate fire from 20 positions, including heavy machine guns and anti-tank missiles,” the commissioner said. “I saw a 70-year-old grandmother shooting at us with a heavy machine gun. I thought I was going to die.”

Worried about civilian casualties, the police withdrew as snipers disabled the SUVs with explosive bullets.

They haven’t been back. The commissioner said that drugs traffickers have taken advantage of a political power vacuum during the formation of a government following national elections in June to invest large funds in the fields this year.

Law enforcement agencies have taken few preventive measures, enabling Lazarat’s illegal trade to flourish. Any moves against the village now could prompt a “bloody war,” he added.

Instead, the police spend the better part of the summer stopping water trucks from entering the village and arresting migrant laborers headed there. They seize any cannabis shipments they notice coming out.

Last year, the haul amounted to nearly 15 tons of marijuana, while another ten tons were seized at various borders.

Cannabis is usually planted in May and harvested in September. Up to 90 percent of village residents — 7,000 in all — are believed to take part in the business.

Albanian Riviera on the brink of collapse



Top Channel TV

Riviera on the brink of collapse The Albanian Riviera, considered as the pearl of our country, has turned into a real construction site recently.

Legal and illegal buildings have spurred around by damaging the coastline image.

Top Channel has monitored the Vlore coastline up to Qeparo, to the border between Vloren and Saranda, and what we saw was unfinished buildings of several stories high, mountains eaten out for the construction materials, and workers coming from every side of Albania.

The Mayor of Himara, Gjergj Goro, says that his municipality has been identifying several illegal buildings during the years.

“We have been identifying illegal buildings, but Himara, different from every other municipality, has its own development plan and every construction that does not fulfill the criteria will be demolished. I warn everyone to not try and invest in constructions that will be razed down, as the Prime Minister designate has declared”, Goro added.

When asked if some legal buildings are in inappropriate places, Goro confirmed that they need to be demolished and create a plan for revitalizing these areas.

“The long political transition and the lack of a development plan has made everyone build according to their own view. There have been inappropriate permits and I think that by developing a plan, we may replace these inappropriate buildings and develop the area properly, so that citizens can see what was ugly and what is beautiful and functional. The law must change and make it a closed cycle, where no one dares to build without a permit”, Goro declared.

The situation in Vlore is different, and the constructions have continued on the hills. The Municipality of this city has stared an action to demolish some of them, and the Mayor says that this operation will continue in the upcoming days. According to Gjika, the electoral promises for legalizing the buildings have created a chaos.

“We have a legal handicap, because the electoral campaigns make people believe that they can build everything they want and it will be legalized. Every constriction is against the development plan and are based on abusive and strange legalization procedures. The idea, desire and determination of Mr.Rama, Prime Minister designate, to have a coastline free of illegal constructions, in order to start a perspective for developing the city of Vlore, should be followed by legal mechanisms that will make room for our interventions and for having a better idea of the development perspective”, Gjika declared.

As for the legal constructions that fall against a future plan, Gjika says that these permits have been given according to the laws in power, but he stated that he was ready to demolish them if the new government creates a plan for the coastline.

Vlora, Dhermi, Jala, livadhi, Himara and Qeparo are considered as magical beaches in Albania that attract each year thousands of local and foreign tourists, who are also obliged to hear the noise of construction machineries that go on relentlessly.

Although the local administrations have been aware for the situation, if not responsible, they feel powerless to intervene, something that the new government has decided to do. The autumn in which Edi Rama has prmised to start this operation comes very soon, and so soon will the next summer come, to see if this new Prime Minister will keep his promise.

TOP CHANNEL TV

Culture center used as church demolished



Culture center used as church demolished The execution of the court decision for passing a premise that was being used as church to the Municipality administration, and turn it into a cultural center for the city, has involved the Permet priests in a conflict with the bailiffs who had been tasked to execute the decision.

The Permet citizens share different thoughts, since some of them are in favor of the church, while others say that it used to be a cultural center.



The clerks of the Gjirokaster Saint Metropolity protested through a declaration, saying that the devotees were violated and not allowed to enter the church.

The clerks say that they will continue the efforts to win the property rights for using the church and punishing the ones who have given an unfair decision.

Police operation continues in Gjirokaster
 

The Gjirokaster Police continued this Wednesday morning with their operation to block the water and the employees that are used for the marijuana parcels in Lazarat, one of the most problematic areas in our country.

After 5:00 am, the police blocked the entrances to the village and did not allow the water trucks to enter. One day ago, five trucks full of fertilizers were stopped, together with 58 people who were traveling to Lazarat, and who were taken to the Gjirokaster Police for verifications.

The operation came after the report made by the Italian Guardia di Finanza, which supplied aerial images of the parcels scattered around the place. Meanwhile, shots are heard from inside the village, and one unaddressed bullet has hit one passerby in Gjirokaster.

British Navy first operation in Drymades beach, Himara Region


"Albanian Lion 2013", major operation begins, by the British Navy, 6000 Troops in Southern Albania, Porto Palermo, Orikum, Kucovo and Rinas air base .

The early hours of the morning, the British frigate HSM, has started in Drymades beach, Himara Municipality the military operation with the name of the operation code named "Albanian Lion 2013".

The operation will continue throughout the length of the Ionian coast, in which involved 6,000 British troops of Task Force Navy, which will be installed in, Porto Palermo of Himara, in Oricum basis of Vlora Bay and Rina, Kucovo air base.

Belgrade Urges Kosovo Serbs to Vote, Serbs to Decide soon

Source: Tanjug

After a three-hour meeting with representatives of Kosovo Serbs, reporters were told that the government will stand by its people in Kosovo.

Tanjug

BELGRADE - Serbia's top officials on Wednesday tried to impress upon Kosovo Serbs that voting in the status-neutral local election is the best way to fight for Serbian citizens and national interests in the southern province, while Serb representatives said they would make the decision in the next few days.
After a three-hour meeting with representatives of Kosovo Serbs, advisor to the Serbian president Marko Djuric told reporters that the government will stand by its people in Kosovo whatever they decide concerning the coming election.

"We sent the message that the formation of status-neutral municipalities, that is municipalities established on the principles of status neutrality based on the agreement, should be the way we as a state and a nation will fight for our interests," said Djuric.

The steps taken in the coming days will determine whether this will be an opportunity seized and a victory, he said.

Djuric said the discussion covered all issued related to the life of Serbs in Kosovo and a variety of opinions were expressed.

"We are trying to preserve unity. Regardless of the decisions they make and the position on the election they assume, the Serbian government will stand by its people in Kosovo," said Djuric.

Chairman of the Serbian National Council Milan Ivanovic did not come out with a final position on Wednesday, but said the decision will be made in the coming days.

He did not want to say whether the Serbs are closer to boycotting or participating in the election set for November 3, but stressed that a united stance is the goal.

"We heard clear positions from the state leadership and decided to come out with our own definitive position shortly," said Ivanovic.

A meeting with Serbs from southern Kosovo is also necessary, as is a consensus of Serb representatives, the Serb people in Kosovo and the government, it was stressed in the meeting.

"We now have some time to inform our parties, institutions, organizations and municipalities, and then we will present a final position, which we will relay to the Belgrade government at our next meeting," said Ivanovic.

He stressed that international law must be respected, as well as the only valid international document backed by the UN Security Council - Resolution 1244, with which all potential solutions must comply.

Serbia's top officials on Wednesday tried to impress upon Kosovo Serbs that voting in the status-neutral local election is the best way to fight for Serbian citizens and national interests in the southern province, while Serb representatives said they would make the decision in the next few days.

After a three-hour meeting with representatives of Kosovo Serbs, advisor to the Serbian president Marko Djuric told reporters that the government will stand by its people in Kosovo whatever they decide concerning the coming election.

"We sent the message that the formation of status-neutral municipalities, that is municipalities established on the principles of status neutrality based on the agreement, should be the way we as a state and a nation will fight for our interests," said Djuric.

The steps taken in the coming days will determine whether this will be an opportunity seized and a victory, he said.

Djuric said the discussion covered all issued related to the life of Serbs in Kosovo and a variety of opinions were expressed.

"We are trying to preserve unity. Regardless of the decisions they make and the position on the election they assume, the Serbian government will stand by its people in Kosovo," said Djuric.

Chairman of the Serbian National Council Milan Ivanovic did not come out with a final position on Wednesday, but said the decision will be made in the coming days.

He did not want to say whether the Serbs are closer to boycotting or participating in the election set for November 3, but stressed that a united stance is the goal.

"We heard clear positions from the state leadership and decided to come out with our own definitive position shortly," said Ivanovic.

A meeting with Serbs from southern Kosovo is also necessary, as is a consensus of Serb representatives, the Serb people in Kosovo and the government, it was stressed in the meeting.

"We now have some time to inform our parties, institutions, organizations and municipalities, and then we will present a final position, which we will relay to the Belgrade government at our next meeting," said Ivanovic.

He stressed that international law must be respected, as well as the only valid international document backed by the UN Security Council - Resolution 1244, with which all potential solutions must comply.

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic called on Kosovo-Metohija Serbs to adopt the decision on voting in the November 3 elections as soon as possible and said that Belgrade will not back the boycott of the polls, Tanjug learnt.

Nikolic called on Kosovo Serbs to adopt the decision as soon as possible and noted that time is passing, and “everything we do not do today will only be something we can dream of tomorrow”.

During the talks with the delegation of Kosovo-Metohija Serbs, the president reiterated that Serbia will never leave their side and added that Serbs in the province are aware of the current situation, and it is important for them that there be no dilemmas whatsoever concerning status neutrality.

Serb representatives underscored that at this moment, the unity of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija needs to be preserved at any cost.

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Ivica Dacic launched the meeting with the delegation of Kosovo Serbs in the Presidency building some time around 11.300 and according to announcements, the talks will cover the current situation in the province, primarily the preparations for local elections.

The delegation of Serbs from northern Kosovo-Metohija includes Head of the Kosovska Mitrovica District Radenko Nedeljkovic, representatives of the four northern Kosovo municipalities and President of the Serbia National Council Milan Ivanovic.

The meeting is also attended by Director for the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija, Deputy Director Krstimir Pantic and Serbian president's advisor Marko Djuric.

Tensions around Gibraltar heating up

Source: Tanjug

Gibraltar - Drivers who want to get into Gibraltar from Spain have to wait in long lines, while the tensions between official Madrid and London are increasing.

Beta - AP

The Royal Gibraltar Police has written on their Twitter account: "We are at the border and passengers are waiting for more than three hours. They are checking all the documents," the AFP Agency reports.
Many cars are parked on the Spanish side of the border as people decided to cross the border on foot, carrying bags in their hands, in order to avoid the long lines of cars waiting to pass a stringent control of Spanish border police.

"This has happened to me at least six or seven times so far," said 30-year-old unemployed construction worker, Francis Perez, who is still waiting for an hour and a half to cross the border with Gibraltar with his family.

Perez is from the Spanish city of Madina Sidonie, about 50 km from Gibraltar, and as many of his neighbors, he goes to the British territory to fill the car with fuel and buy cigarettes, which are cheaper there due to lower taxes.

The Anglo-Spanish dispute over Gibraltar to the day heats up - London announced that it is "seriously considering" launching lawsuits against Spain because of stricter controls on the border with Gibraltar, as well as sending warships to the Mediterranean, while Madrid has said it will not give up the stricter border control.

"The controls are not our right, but an obligation," said to Reuters an unnamed spokesman for the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adding that the Spanish government would not give up control aimed at preventing money laundering and smuggling of tobacco and other products.

The British Prime Minister David Cameron previously, however, said that the government in London, believed that stricter control on the border with Spain, Gibraltar was "politically motivated and totally disproportionate."

The Spanish newspaper "El Pais" published two days ago, citing diplomatic sources, that the government in Madrid could "present" to the United Nations its dispute with Britain over Gibraltar.

The dispute over Gibraltar has intensified since the government and the British overseas territory, the rights on which are also claimed by Spain, announced the plans to build an artificial reef.

Official Madrid claims, however, that this reef would prevent the passage of Spanish fishing boats.

Gibraltar has previously accused Spain of deliberately keeping cars when entering on the small British overseas territory by checking each vehicle in detail, thus at the last weekend in July they waited for six hours on the border.

Tripoli Highway Now Named "Mikis Theodorakis" Motorway

Tripoli Highway Now Named "Mikis Theodorakis" Motorway

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By Hellas Frappe on 12.8.13

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The Tripoli city council, Arcadia prefecture, Peloponnese decided to name a motorway of the city's new ring road after renowned Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis. The decision was taken after a proposal by mayor Yiannis Smyrniotis to honour the Greek composer who lived in Tripoli and Arcadia over a large part of his life and produced considerable music work during the period. The unveiling of the name of the city's new motorway is scheduled to take place on Monday in a unique event.

 

  Berisha: Efforts for Greek minority in Himara, failed

  Prime Minister Sali Berisha has responded today, on August 11, anti statements this summer, made ​​in Himara.

Berisha today on the social network Facebook, the funeral was to Aristotle Guma politicized.

According to Berisha, the cradle of patriotism Himara is Albanian and other minority every effort there is tragic.

"A funeral ceremony politicized to Nazism by a tiny handful of extremists, killed the second day for the young A. Guma.

Attempts to find through Nekro policy, are a minority in Himara quixotic and tragic. Himara ever has been and remains the cradle of Albanian nationalism contributions to the country's struggle for freedom, in letters, art and national culture.

In this area, some villages and Himara themselves are bilingual, but with identical DNA and blood subgroups with other villages in the thousands of years have not spoken a word in Greek or Albanian other than that nice.

A graveside ceremony with extreme politicization and once again proves the misery of those who want to find the dead, trail of a minority that has never existed in Himara.  ', says Berisha on Facebook.

Vulin: Ballots cannot have Kosovo logo

Source: Tanjug

BELGRADE - Head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Aleksandar Vulin defies Pristina's announcement to have Kosovo logos on ballots.

Tanjug

In an interview for Radio Television of Serbia on Saturday, says that Serbia finds it is unacceptable for ballots in local elections in Kosovo-Metohija Vulin to have Kosovo logos and recalled that OSCE should maintain a status of neutral stand at the local elections scheduled for November 3.
Either OSCE would be status neutral or the elections would not be held, he said and underscored that Pristina opposes mass turnout of Serbs in the elections because it fears they would take over all the rights they won though the Brussels agreement.

The agreement reached by Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and his Kosovo counterpart Hasim Taci in Brussels on April 19 envisages the constitution of the community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo-Metohija with certain executive powers.

In order to participate in the elections, Serbs do not have to recognise the state of Kosovo and Serbs do not have to become members of the self-declared Republic of Kosovo.

The agreement is status neutral and Serbs will accept the November 3 ballots only on such conditions and without any logos of the inexistent state, Vulin said.

Albania: Village of Lazarat annually produces 900 tons of marijuana [video]

Makedonska Informativna Agencija MIA

Find story with similar tags:AlbaniacannabisLazaratmarijuana

One kilogram of the marijuana can be bought “wholesale” in the Albanian village of Lazarat, famous for the production of narcotic plants, at an average price of 350 euros.

Photo from: http://news.albanianscreen.tv/

To those who export the marijuana, it is sold at a price of 500 euros. For larger groups, which have motor boats, and smuggle marijuana into Greece and Italy, the price is 800 euros per kilo.
Interestingly, for the Italian groups, marijuana is being processed, since it is being sold for a much higher price. The average price of marijuana in western countries is about 5 euros per gram, EUR 5,000 per kilogram in total.
Denovive Stefano Bostoni, Chief of the Italian Air Force units in Tirana, said that Lazarat, also called “cannabis”, annually produces 900 tons of marijuana, mainly of Dutch varieties, which brings profit of 4.5 billion of euros. The most problematic areas where marijuana is grown are around the area of ​​Valona, Shkodra, Tirana and Durres.

In July 2012, Albanian police started the operation for the extermination of narcotics plants in Lazarat, and throughout the country. At the time, 5 thousand cannabis sativa plants were destroyed, and five people were arrested.

Albania officials: EU focus could slow nationalism

12/08/2013

Nationalistic political rhetoric in Albania can be slowed by looking towards a European future, analysts and officials say.

By Erl Murati for Southeast European Times in Tirana -- 12/08/13

Supporters of the Nationalistic Party Red and Black Alliance protest in front of government headquarters in April. [AFP]

A growing nationalistic tone by some parties in Albania has officials trying the shift the public's attention to the country's EU accession.
The Red and Black Alliance, a new political party, recently lodged a request to hold a public referendum on Albania-Kosovo unity with the Central Elections Commission.
A 2012 December poll by Kult Foundation showed that about 63 percent of Albanians were in favour of Albania and Kosovo joining.
Other events have shown nationalistic tendencies as well. Prime Minister Sali Berisha's declaration that "Albania lies from Presevo (Serbia) to Preveza (Greece)" led to the cancellation of a scheduled visit by the Greek foreign minister, and the president of Macedonia cancelled a visit to Tirana after a group of youths burned the Macedonian flag.
"There is a growing tendency of the nationalistic spirit and ideas among the political parties and representatives of the state-owned institutions. We must raise the debate on the European project against the so-called project on Greater Albania," Albert Rakipi, executive director of the Albanian Institute for International Studies, told SETimes.
The EU frowns upon nationalistic sentiment, and the continuation of such rhetoric could damage the country's relationship with the Union.
"The common goal of all the states in the region is to one day be part of the European Union, where we have freedom of movement for everybody. That is why a redrawing of national boundaries is out of the question, including the Balkans," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on a visit to Tirana earlier this year.
Rakipi said that some Albanians may be returning to nationalistic tendencies because they believe the international community is not helping them and is favouring other nations in the Balkans.
"This is wrong. For your own failures, you cannot blame others. The international community supported the membership of Albania to NATO, as well as the independence of Kosovo. The reason why Albania and Kosovo are still feeble countries should not be searched into the fact that they are not united," he said.
The new government, which will take over next month, has made European integration a top priority.
"We will do everything possible in a very short time to get the status of candidate country. Our main goal is to have Albania part of Europe and integrated into it," Prime Minister-designate Edi Rama said.

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According to Deputy Foreign Minister Kreshnik Çollaku, as long as the EU guarantees a positive course for Albania's European integration, no damage will come from Albanian nationalism.
"The nationalistic radicalism and the EU integration process are like two communication vessels. If one exists, the other is not needed," Çollaku told SETimes.
"The development, the prosperity and the unity of the nation is guaranteed and is not opposed by the integration to EU. As long as this process will be efficient, active and real, there is not any room for fear," Çollaku said.
What benefits do you see from advancing Albania's efforts to join the EU? Tell us in the comments.

This content was commissioned for SETimes.com.

 

Golden Dawn threatens with war
 

One day after the ceremony held for the death of Aristotel Guma, Top Channel has the declarations made by the Golden Dawn during this ceremony.

Kristoforos Tsankas declared on Guma’s grave that the Golden Dawn will not leave Himara until it is liberated.

“On behalf of our commander, Nikos Mihaliakos, and on behalf of our leadership and the special responsible for the helenization matter, Kristo Papa, who is not here because the illegal regime of Tirana has declared him “non grata” due to his patriotic activity. But his mind is here, with us. The national poet, Dionisis Solomos, has once written: “Have I anything else in my mind besides our freedom and our language?” This is what Aristotel Guma had in mind, freedom and language, that is why he fell as a hero. His tragic death showed that he was a true Greek, and his murderers were tyrants. The Himara women have the fate to give birth to heroes. It is the destiny of this land to hold brave people in it. As people, we feel sad for his death. As Greek citizens, we hold his memory in our hearts, because his death showed the majesty of the man. The criminals who took his life cannot stain his name, which will remane eternal. He lost his life to win eternity. Ladies and gentlemen, the Golden Dawn does not come to Himara to go. We continue our honors on his grave and we promise to continue the fight until it is liberated. Long live our nation”, Tsankas declared.

The Greek anthem was sang in this ceremony. This is the third anniversary for Aristotel Guma, and it was followed by incidents from the Golden Dawn exponents. First they removed the Saint Spirodhoni priest from the church, who did not accept to continue with their rituals, and attacked Top Channel’s crew by not allowing them to film the ceremony.