Albanian airport, ministry in tit-for-tat over 1M-euro heist

TIRANA, Albania – Tirana International Airport and the Albanian Interior Ministry are blaming each other for a robbery at the airport.

Three masked gunmen last week robbed an armoured car that was loading 1 million euros ($1.1 million) belonging to a private bank onto a plane. The robbers illegally entered the takeoff area by breaking through the fence surrounding the airport.

TIA spokeswoman Arlinda Causholli said Monday that, according to the law, the maintenance of public order and security in the territory the car crossed outside the airport fence is the sole responsibility of state police forces.

Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri countered that “police take care only of the passengers at the terminal,” warning that TIA’s contract to operate the airport should be reviewed.

The Civil Aviation Authority, in charge of air transport, called on both sides to restrain from hasty statements and let prosecutors complete their probe.

Five officials of the private bank, the airport and the company in charge of security there have been arrested.

It is a normal practice for private banks to transport cash belonging to their depositors to invest in international financial institutions abroad.