In a joint operation, Albanian and Kosovar police have dealt a significant blow to illegal arms trafficking in the region.

According to the Albanian news platform Gazeta Express, two men from Prizren, both Kosovar citizens aged 31 and 46, were arrested near the northern Albanian city of Kukës as part of Operation Kalibri. At the time of their arrest, the pair were carrying eight pistols, which were apparently intended to be smuggled across the green border into Albania.

According to Gazeta Express, the operation was part of intensive cross-border cooperation between the police forces of Kukës, Tirana, and Prizren. The operation was carried out as part of increased surveillance of the border region following reports of increased arms smuggling. The seized weapons were secured as evidence and handed over to the public prosecutor’s office of the court of first instance in Kukës.

Albeni Proda, director of the Albanian State Police, publicly praised the operation, describing it as a prime example of successful cooperation between Albania and Kosovo: “The latest actions prove that we are not just reacting, but taking targeted and strategic action against organized crime. Close cooperation with the Kosovar police has once again proven to be a model of success.” This statement was published by Gazeta Express in its detailed report on the operation on July 9, 2025.

Proda particularly emphasized that every illegal weapon seized could potentially save a human life. The fight against arms trafficking is not only a matter of law enforcement, but also of public safety. According to him, it is necessary for “the media, civil society, and the population to take joint responsibility” in order to undermine illegal structures.

The two arrested men have already been interrogated. According to Gazeta Express, investigators believe they are part of a larger network that regularly smuggles weapons across the poorly controlled mountain paths between Kosovo and Albania. Other suspects have so far escaped, and the manhunt is ongoing.

Operation “Kalibri” is a prime example of the new security policy course being pursued by both countries: more transparency, more cooperation, less tolerance for organized crime. With these targeted measures, Albania not only wants to reduce the crime rate, but also prove its integrity as a future EU member state – a claim that the European Union also regularly emphasizes.