Dozens of murders, gangster executions, bank robberies and other serious crimes have taken the police on various search missions in the village of Nikel, which is located not too far from the capital of Tirana. But why did a regular village gain such fame from the scandals of local criminals? And why did so many of them, find refuge here?

Less than 20 km away from the capital city, on the road that takes you to the northern part of the country, lie several villages that have become quite famous amongst law enforcement authorities. Nikel, Arrameras, Larushku and Halili, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Kruja, are the destinations most frequented by the police and RENEA forces, after any criminal event, no matter where it takes place around the country. Especially in the last decade, these have either been the birthplaces of the authors of murders, robberies and abductions, or the criminals have been found here, hiding.

This timeline of innumerable crimes has led law enforcement authorities here, after receiving countless indications that dozens of exponents of the underground crime world actually, continue to live here.

The kidnapping of Enver Stafuka, the series of robberies of armored cars transporting large amounts of cash from banks to the Rinas Airport, the murder of banker, Artan Santo, the murder in Fier of Shkelzen Kastrati, the execution of Behar Sofia in Tirana etc., are all crimes, the authors of which have either been arrested in Nikel, or their tracks have been found here.

This has led police officers to have Nikel in the center of their attention, and their operations and trips to this village have now become a regular practice.

During an interview for journalist Mentor Kikia on Euronews Albania, the Director of the Department of Crimes against People at the State Police Department, Tonin Vocaj, spoke about the criminal history of this region.

“The Police State Department possesses complete information and evidence related to all the subjects that are involved in criminal activity in this area. Time and time again, police officers have conducted searches and investigations here, when the presence of criminal groups or full-on criminal structures have been found here. In the village of Nikel, police patrol and the functioning of the law is the same as in the rest of the Albanian territory, despite the fact that there might be a higher concentration of work load here, compared to other areas,” – said Vocaj.

But how do the residents of Nikel feel, today that their village has become famous as a consequence of the scandals carried out by criminals?

Residents of Nikel say that it is the capital of furniture, not the capital of crime. They say that Nikel offers a lot of touristic potential and that people shouldn’t hesitate to pay a visit, despite the fact that the dark image has hampered tourism.

“Around 7 000 people are employed in Nikel from the outskirts of Tirana, Durres and elsewhere. Nikel is a place of work, a place of progress and culture. Nikel isn’t what is being shown on the screen, but a village full of hard-working people,” – says a local, Besmik Ulliri.

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