The Tirana Police has once again struck a significant blow against illegal arms trafficking and organized crime. A 46-year-old Albanian man, Altin Celami, was arrested in the capital as part of a major police operation code-named “Gun Expert”, coordinated by Police Station No. 4 and the Trafficking Section of the Tirana Police Directorate, under the supervision of the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office.
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| 3 different photos of Altin Celami, on the left dressed as a high-ranking officer, in the middle as a soldier and on the right as a civilian who is playing a guitar in his free time, wearing a white shirt with short shorts |
Arrest Details and Seized Items
During the police action conducted on Dibra Street in Tirana, officers stopped Celami while he was driving his taxi. Upon inspection of the vehicle and his home, the police found:
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4 handguns with combat ammunition
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Various weapon components and accessories
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A quantity of cocaine
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Ammunition ready for sale
All of these items were seized as material evidence, together with the suspect’s taxi. The police emphasized that the firearms were prepared for distribution to criminal gangs, making Celami a key player in the illegal weapons supply chain.
A Familiar Face to the Police
This is not the first time that Altin Celami has been on law enforcement’s radar. Reports indicate that he had recently been released from prison, where he had served time for illegal possession of firearms. In fact, Celami was previously arrested on October 4, 2022, for the very same crime.
Before his criminal involvement, Celami had a military background, serving in the Peza Helmes military unit in Tirana. Following his 2022 arrest, he was expelled from the Albanian Army, marking the end of his service career and the beginning of a descent into criminal activity.
A Well-Organized Cover: The Taxi Scheme
One of the most striking aspects of this case is the clever disguise Celami employed. To mask his operations, he posed as a taxi driver, using a regular yellow taxi to move freely across the city without raising suspicion. Police investigators believe this cover allowed him to transport firearms discreetly, supplying various criminal gangs in Tirana without detection.
This method demonstrates how organized crime networks in Albania are adapting to avoid law enforcement surveillance, blending illegal activity with ordinary professions and daily routines.
Official Police Statement
In its official press release, the Tirana Police announced:
“The Police Station No. 4, in cooperation with the Trafficking Section of DVP Tirana, under the direction of the Prosecutor’s Office, successfully finalized the operation codenamed ‘Gun Expert’. As a result, citizen A.C., aged 46, resident in Tirana, was arrested in flagrante delicto while driving his taxi.
During searches of the vehicle and residence, four handguns, combat ammunition, narcotic substances, and various weapon parts were discovered and seized as evidence. Investigations continue to identify other individuals involved in this criminal activity.”
The materials were forwarded to the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office for prosecution under Articles related to illegal possession and production of firearms, explosive weapons, and ammunition, as well as production and trafficking of narcotics.
Broader Implications for Albania’s Fight Against Organized Crime
This arrest underscores the continuing challenge of illegal weapons circulation in Albania, a problem often linked to regional smuggling routes and criminal organizations that traffic both arms and drugs. Operations like “Gun Expert” reveal the police’s increased use of special investigative methods to dismantle such networks.
The Ministry of Interior and the State Police have recently intensified operations targeting illegal firearms and organized trafficking, especially in urban areas like Tirana, Durrës, and Shkodër, where criminal activity has historically been more concentrated.
While this particular operation led to a single arrest, authorities stress that investigations are ongoing to identify Celami’s possible collaborators and the criminal groups he supplied.
The “Gun Expert” operation highlights Albania’s commitment to fighting organized crime, illegal arms possession, and narcotics distribution. The case of Altin Celami, a former soldier turned arms supplier, reflects how individuals with military expertise can become valuable assets for criminal groups—making law enforcement’s job even more challenging.
The success of this operation demonstrates that the Tirana Police remain vigilant and proactive in their mission to ensure public safety and dismantle criminal supply networks across the country