Arrests at Albanian military plant, strong spying allegations

In Albania, a series of security institutions have been involved in last night's investigation into the weapons plant in Grams, where two Russian and Ukrainian citizens were arrested after one of them entered the internal environments, and resisted the military who banned him. Defence Minister Niko Peleshi said today there is reason to suspect the spying, though, as he stressed, there will be investigations that will assess the case. Today, it was announced that four Czech citizens were detained after two had entered one of the tunnels of the former Polican military plant.

When almost 24 hours have passed, it is still unclear what they were looking for in the former arms plant in Gramshi three Russian and Ukrainian statesmen caught by Albanian authorities last night. Defence Minister Niko Peleshi said today there is reason to suspect spying. We have a lot of right to suspect. Any foreign national who enters a military area and is also captured by photographing, suspected of spying”, he told reporters.

The anchorage is also one of the leads that I'm following at the moment and the prosecution, which has recorded the criminal case among others and referring to Article 214 of the Penal Code, under which “Providing classified information with military character or any other kind in order to provide a foreign power -- to affect the country's independence -- is sentenced to imprisonment of between three and ten years”.

Minister Peleshi said the event could not be treated as a mere incident, rather that the 24-year-old Russian man Mikhail Zorin, who had entered the former Uzina facilities, had not only resisted his ban but also used paralyzing spray against the two soldiers. The “, located both in the wider regional context and in the political context, must be assessed and could not pass as an ordinary civilian incident. But we can't rush to draw conclusions. However, the fact that it has reacted violently by these foreign citizens makes us more attentive to investigate it to the end”, the minister stressed.

In the case investigation, the prosecution has been involved, both anti-terror and intelligence services.

According to local evidence, the vehicle used by three foreigners had been moving to the area for at least two days. It's a sports machine, a product of color and color in recent years that could not go unnoticed. It is learned that all three foreigners had entered Albania for many days at different times. One of them, Ukrainian Fyodor Mihajlov, along with the vehicle, has entered from the port of Durres, and the other two from Rinas Airport. While questioned, they have claimed they have come for tourism. The 33-year-old Russian, Svetlana Timofeeva, has indicated to be a blogger. For his part, the young Ukrainian has posted photos of the plant with the “inscription. Secret military factory, somewhere between the mountains in Albania”.

The former Gramsh plant, where weapons were produced before the 1990 ' s, has banned activity, while for a time it was used to demonstrate old ammunition.

President Bajram Begaj has reacted to the event today, explaining that he is following it closely. “I am in constant communication with security structures, the General Staff of Armed Forces, information services and law enforcement structures, which I encourage and support to continue working to clear up the event and prevent any situation that affects national security”, he wrote in a post on social networks.

US Ambassador Yuri Kim also announced that she had communicated with Minister Pelesi and Albanian Army Chief of General Staff Arben Kiggi to congratulate the injured two soldiers last night. In a Twitter post, the American ambassador underlined that “would stand up to our ally, while authorities thoroughly investigate to bring the facts to light and claim accounts from those responsible.

But as last night's event immediately drew attention, today near the former Polish military plant, four Czech citizens have been detained. Two of them are taught to have been able to enter into tunnels that in the past served to keep ammunition and weapons where they were found in the morning. A few hours later, about five miles [1.5 km] from the tunnels and outside the Uzina siege have been found accompanied and their two fellow survivors. / VoA