DURRES, Jan. 22 – A prison warden was wounded when a small amount of TNT was remotely detonated as he drove in a limited-access road inside the Durres seaport on Jan 19.
The attack and two similar others in the western Albanian city over the past two weeks mark the return of targeted violence using TNT on vehicles on acts of targeted violence that has troubled Albanian authorities for years.
The Fushe Kruje prison warden, Arben Suloj, was seriously injured Monday, after his car blew up while he was driving it. He was seriously injured, but was later listed in stable condition at a Tirana hospital. He has later sent for more specialized treatment in Italy.
Following a preliminary investigation, police said the explosive device was small and likely meant for intimidation. Police suspect it was ordered by an inmate and follows unpopular new measures taken at the prison.
The Fushe Kruje high security prison shelters 350 inmates. Most of the men held there are serving life or other long sentences.
Durres also saw two other explosions over the previous weekend.
On Jan. 17 an explosion destroyed a car belonging to 45-year-old Ardian Trota, a resident of the northeastern city of Kukes. Trota was not seriously harmed after he left the car when he heard a strange noise. He suffered only small injuries from the explosion. He had been targeted twice before. Local media said police suspect Trota of ties to the criminal world.
Later police said they arrested Trota because he was wanted for electricity theft at his private business and home.
On Jan 18, a car parked for nearly two weeks in a Durres neighborhood was blown up. No one was injured. Police are still investigating the case.
On Jan. 19 police also reported they had arrested four people for trafficking explosive materials. They also questioned dozens others. The four were arrested after two months of investigation and after an undercover agent had contacted them to buy explosive devices that could be remotely detonated via cell phone.
The trend marks a return after several explosions targeting vehicles and their owners — electricity pylons as well – took place last year.
The main opposition Democratic Party accuses the government and police of being unable to fight crime. They say the police have been infiltrated by people linked to criminal groups, while professional have been fired due to their political leanings.
The Socialist-led government has denied the accusations, and called on the opposition to join the national fight against crime and to damage the work of police. Officials say they have been successful in fighting drug production and traffic and the reduction of road accidents, improvements on the work of police compared to when the Democrats were in power for eight years until 2013.
