-Caveat Lector-
>From The Free Republic
> Albanian mafia targets Britain
>
>
> Foreign Affairs News Keywords: ALBANIAN MAFIA KOSOVO NATO (BY DEFAULT)
> Source: The Guardian (UK)
> Published: September 7th 1999 Author: Nick Hopkins, Crime Correspondent
> Posted on 09/07/1999 16:05:42 PDT by Kate22
>
>
>
> Heavily-armed gangs throw out Italian families to seize control of the criminal
> underworld in Milan
>
> The Albanian mafia is targeting Britain in an effort to expand its European-wide
> illegal immigration, drug trafficking and arms dealing operations, security
> experts warned yesterday.
>
> According to the national criminal intelligence service, heavily armed Albanian
> gangs have established footholds in Germany, Switzerland, Greece and Italy and
> in recent months there have been signs of "organised criminal activity" in
> Britain.
>
> NCIS investigators said the power of the groups, which recently took control of
> the criminal underworld in Milan after a two-year power struggle, must not be
> underestimated.
>
> "They threw out the Italian mafia families," said an NCIS source. "That is how
> violent they are." Ian Morrison, head of NCIS's south-east region, said many
> Albanians seeking asylum in Britain were criminals posing as refugees.
>
> "There is evidence from customs and excise that this is happening. It stands to
> reason that some criminal groups will start to become established here. The same
> thing has happened in mainland Europe. The experience on the continent is that
> they are very aggressive. They present a serious and growing threat."
>
> The Albanian mafia is regarded as the fastest growing in Europe.
>
> It is thought to control many of the people-smuggling routes from east to west
> and has muscled in on the heroin trafficking trade run by Turkish mafias.
>
> Like traditional Sicilian mafias, the Albanian organisations are built around
> families. Every mafia member observes the Besa - a strict oath of trust and
> loyalty.
>
> Albanian gangs have been particularly active in Italy.
>
> Earlier this year, Pier Luigi Vigna, Italy's senior mafia prosecutor, chaired a
> summit in Bari to discuss how to tackle a crime wave that included the reported
> smuggling of 10 containers of radioactive material for sale on the black market.
>
>
> In November last year, police at Brindisi boarded a boat from Albania and seized
> four kilograms of liquid mercury which was being shipped to western Europe,
> probably for illegal weapons manufacture.
>
> Albanian gangs are also thought to have taken control of prostitution, gambling
> and drug dealing along Italy's Adriatic coast.
>
> The potential threat posed by the groups to Britain emerged yesterday when NCIS
> published its annual report.
>
> John Abbott, the director general, said the trafficking of illegal immigrants
> into Britain was currently controlled by 50 gangs, who charged up to £10,000 for
> each person.
>
> Nearly all of the gangs were run by Britons.
>
> He said many immigrants found themselves press-ganged into prostitution, forced
> labour or criminal activity, to pay for their travel.
>
> "The last five years has seen a tremendous growth in illegal immigration, we see
> no reason to predict that it is going to decrease," Mr Abbott said.
>
> "The number of gangs involved in this kind of activity has increased enormously
> in the last two years."
>
> A criminal intelligence service assessment of the level of organised crime in
> Britain has been compiled in a confidential report for police chiefs and the
> home office.
>
> Mr Abbott refused to reveal details of the study, but said: "The threat is
> increasing and we need a robust response."
>
> He added: "Serious and organised crime is becoming more international, faster
> moving and more sophisticated, and its effects are increasingly felt in every
> local community throughout the UK."
> Italy PM against weapons for KLA successor force
>
>
> Foreign Affairs News Keywords: NATO KOSOVO
> Source: Reuters
> Published: Sept 7th 1999
> Posted on 09/07/1999 15:59:17 PDT by Kate22
>
>
>
> PRISTINA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema said on
> Tuesday the successor force to the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) should not have
> any weapons, at least for the foreseeable future.
>
> One option for the transformation of the ethnic Albanian guerrilla group into
> some sort of civil protection force is widely reported to allow its members to
> carry handguns.
>
> But D'Alema made clear that he thought this was out of the question for the time
> being.
>
> "We're in favour of demilitarisaion, also when it comes to weapons," he told
> reporters after meeting local political leaders and Bernard Kouchner, the head
> of the international administration in Kosovo, in the provincial capital
> Pristina.
>
> Asked if this meant the new force would not carry weapons, D'Alema replied:
> "That means no weapons, yes."
>
> He added: "Afterwards we can see. After elections, a democratic government,
> we'll see. But for now, no weapons."
>
> International officials believe that a general election could not be held before
> next spring at the very earliest and stress that many obstacles still have to be
> overcome.
>
> Under an agreement between the KLA and the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force, the
> guerrilla group which waged a 16-month campaign against Serb rule is scheduled
> to hand in all its weapons by September 19.
>
> But the precise model for what should happen to the KLA and its fighters,
> estimated to number between 10,000 and 20,000, is still a matter of debate among
> diplomatic powers and between governments and the KLA itself.
>
> Kouchner also stressed that KLA members should not be carrying weapons after
> September 19. He did not speculate on what would happen in the longer term,
> saying only that a range of options would be examined after the deadline.
>
> KLA commanders would like to see their force become the core of a future Kosovo
> army. But that sits uneasily with Western governments' policy that Kosovo
> remains a part of Yugoslavia and that full independence for the province is not
> an option.
>
> The models most widely quoted for the KLA's immediate future involve
> transforming it into a force helping with reconstruction projects and in relief
> efforts after natural disasters.
>
> ""We have experience with a civil protection corps in Italy," D'Alema said. "We
> could help with this transformation by demonstrating our experience."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<<Let's see how all this can link up:
-- The Albanians funding and arming the KLA
-- NATO legitimising Albania ('refugee' camps, aid, et cetera) but disarming
the KLA
-- KLA becoming the front organisation for the Albanians ('greater' Albania)
-- Albanians deriving strength from legitimacy (prestige, influence, $$$)
-- KLA becoming 'security' force in Kosovo, requiring arms
-- Italy not wanting KLA armed, aiding Albanian mafiosi
-- And the genii have all yet to leave the bottle
A<>E<>R >>
A<>E<>R
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