Journalist Artan Hoxha described the arrest of former SHISH director Vlora Hyseni as one of the most serious blows ever suffered by Albania’s intelligence institution. During the “This Week” program on News24, speaking with journalist Nisida Tufa, he said that the penetration of organized crime into state structures had gone beyond even the most unbelievable predictions.
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Commenting on the fact that the former head of SHISH is now under house arrest, Hoxha said society has faced so many serious events that even the biggest scandal risks being viewed as something normal. According to him, many of these developments had been reported earlier, but they are now also accompanied by evidence, which nevertheless does not make them any less unbelievable.
“During nearly 30 years of my career as a journalist, I never imagined that organized crime could reach such levels,” he said, recalling the history of Albania’s intelligence service, initially SHIK, or the National Intelligence Service, and later SHISH, the State Intelligence Service.
Hoxha stressed that these structures had gone through periods when they wielded considerable influence and inspired fear, while carrying out operations whose consequences are still felt today. He mentioned detentions, kidnappings, torture and even the disappearance of people. Nevertheless, he said that although the institution was repressive and served the authorities of the time, it had not fallen under the control of organized crime.
Nisida Tufa pointed out that, since SHISH cooperates with partner and allied services, its main mission is to protect the country from external threats.
Hoxha replied that this refers particularly to threats coming from enemy countries. He said Albania has its “natural enemies” nearby, who are constantly trying to weaken the country as a democracy, society and state. According to him, some of these efforts have succeeded, while others have failed.
Nevertheless, the journalist said that not even enemy services could have imagined an operation that would inflict such a catastrophe on Albania’s state intelligence service. He said that even if the Russian Federation, the Serbian service, the Greek service and the Iranian service joined forces and used all their financial, human and technological resources, they would not have achieved such a result.
“This was not carried out by major services with global fame and a notorious reputation, but by the service of Sukth, the service of Xhavzotaj and Hamllaj,” Hoxha said, describing the situation as an apocalyptic scene.
He added that even fans of Netflix series, including “Narcos,” would find it difficult to imagine such a story. According to Hoxha, even well-known directors would never have thought of turning into a fiction screenplay an event that has become reality in Albania.
