Securing a weapon in Albania seems neither difficult nor costly for criminal groups. According to the investigation into an arms trafficking ring, weapons were purchased for as little as 250 Euros in Albania and sold in Kosovo for between 500 and 600 Euros.
The primary figure in the trafficking operation, Valter Osmani, is said to have led a vast network of people—his clients who knew exactly where to go when they needed a weapon. Six members of this network were arrested in a sting operation by investigators who, using an undercover collaborator, purchased pistols.
Among those involved in the trafficking ring was also a taxi driver, who used his vehicle to transport the weapons.
The investigation also suggests that Osmani may have sourced weapons from Montenegro. For many years, weapons seized by police were believed to have originated from the 1997 arms caches, but recent investigations have uncovered new trafficking routes bringing weapons from abroad.
The illegal possession of firearms has always been a top priority for the police, and penalties for such crimes have been significantly increased. According to the investigation, around 500 firearms of various types were seized across the country this year, with most of them being pistols.
