Scandal: 100 Albanian passports seized in Greece

In a communiqué to the media, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has explained the entire passport transport route, while stressing that the passport package was stolen from the Albanian Republic of Albania's General Consulate's car in Janina, Pervin Gjikuria.

According to MPJ, on February 13th, passports produced by company A LEAT were being transported towards Greece ambalised, not in line with the regular practices of transporting diplomatic packages.

The Greek customs authorities, at the border crossing point at Kakaville, carried out the random verification and blocked the package with which passports were transported. Pako with Albanian passports was unblocked after their verification and meeting representatives of the RSH General Consulate in Janina with Greek customs authorities. We stress that the shipment has been accompanied by a authorisation document by the Embassy of the Republic of Albania in Athens, through which a company employee, please submits applications and withdraws passports and ID cards to the Company A LEAT, on behalf of our Embassy in Athens”, says Albania's MPJ in the media communiqué.

Later, the MPJ says the shipment has been delivered to diplomatic representatives of the Republic of Albania's General Consulate in Janina, who have proceeded with their association and transportation towards the Embassy of the Republic of Albania in Athens.

“During their transport from the General Consul of the Republic of Albania to Yianina, at one of the stops made for our embassy, right on the street of RHAgagon Asomatonão, Athens, from 22.50 to 00.10, the diplomatic license vehicle was vandalated”, further points out Albania's MPJ.

In advance of such a fact, local police authorities have been notified and all random procedures have been conducted on their part, such as monitoring the environment and car, taking fingerprints, reporting and denouncing for the incident by the General Consul of the Republic of Albania in Janina, Pervin Gjikuria in police areas.

At once, as in the case of the first event, at the border, and in the case of the second event, the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs committed themselves to taking immediate preventive measures to prevent such events in the future. At the same time, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has immediately launched all investigative and administrative procedures to punish rigorously, on the scale of violations, those responsible for these practices that go contrary to the rules and laws in force. Interior Ministry in collaboration with Company A LEAT, have taken measures to de-use and mispronounce these passports, as well as commitment to accelerate reproductive procedures and replace them”, the MPJ declares.

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has instructed all instances necessary for citizens affected by the damage caused to re-appreciate without spending and issuing new passports to become urgently.