As student protests against Edi Rama’s government continue, the transfer of a major public industrial property in Rubik to an arms company linked to Israeli businessman Ron Yeffet has raised new questions about the management of state assets.
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The government transferred the property to state-owned arms company KAYO in March 2025. In November that year, KAYO established Advanced Arm Technology in partnership with private company Uno18. KAYO holds 20% of the joint venture, while Uno18 owns 80%. Reports identify Yeffet as a shareholder in Uno18.
The handover agreement was signed by KAYO director Ard Veliu.
Rubik Copper Plant: From industrial pride to a new arms venture
The Copper Processing Plant in Rubik was once a symbol of Albania’s industrial strength. It processed the country's copper resources, which supplied production chains including the manufacture of electrical wire in Shkodër. According to historical accounts, approximately 1.5 quintals of gold in ingots were also sent annually to the State Bank.
At its peak, Albania’s copper industry reportedly produced around one million tonnes of copper ore and pyrite annually, 50,000 tonnes of copper concentrate, 12,000–15,000 tonnes of electrolytic copper, 8,000–10,000 tonnes of wire and cables, and 20,000–25,000 tonnes of sulphuric acid. Production also included brass and bronze.
The industry reportedly employed around 12,000 people and generated net proceeds of approximately $1.5–2 million from precious metals. These historical figures require verification against archival industrial records, but they illustrate the scale of the sector and its former importance to the national economy.
Today, the reported transfer of the Rubik property to a company operating in the arms sector raises a different set of questions about the future use of Albania’s former industrial assets, the public benefit of such agreements and the transparency of decisions involving state-owned land.
Questions over public property and arms deals
The transfer comes amid scrutiny of Yeffet’s business relationships with Albanian state institutions. Former deputy prime minister Arben Ahmetaj has published audio recordings that he claims raise suspicions of illegal arms trafficking and improper government dealings.
Albanian media have also reported searches by the Special Prosecution Office (SPAK) connected to Yeffet, KAYO and other individuals. Investigators have reportedly examined suspicions including abuse of office and violations of equality in public tenders. These allegations do not, by themselves, establish criminal wrongdoing by the people involved.
The transfer of the Rubik property nevertheless raises questions that deserve public answers: What are the precise terms of the agreement? What is the economic value of the property? What safeguards protect the public interest when state-owned assets are placed under the control of a joint venture in which private investors hold the majority stake?
As students demand accountability from the government, transparency over public property and defence-sector partnerships is becoming an increasingly important issue in Albania’s political debate.