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ELBASAN GANGSTERS/ "For a glass of raki...", how the bloody feud between the 'Mandelas' and the 'Cërriku gang' began

2025-03-26 21:39:28Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
ELBASAN GANGSTERS/ "For a glass of raki...", how the bloody feud
Scene from '97

A full 28 years after the events of 1997, justice convicted the perpetrators of the Cërrik massacre, but what is the unknown history of the bloody gangs of Elbasan?

From the March riots to local conflicts, how the infamous Mandela and Kateshi gangs were founded

What are the unknown events and macabre crimes that were covered by the dust of oblivion?

Was there political influence and what happened to the remnants of the '97 gangs? The show "Inside Story" reveals how the '97 gangs were formed and what they hide behind their fierce conflicts?

Sentencing of the 'Cërriku' gang after three decades, the head of the GJKKO Appeals: The events of '97 are complicated

An operation that was supposed to restore order ended in a deadly trap. 5 guardsmen lost their lives, 16 others were injured. By order of the Minister of Order at the time, the Republican Guard was ordered to go to Cërrik to neutralize the armed elements.

The guards were not prepared for an urban battle. They thought they were facing a small group of rebels. But, in front of them were 150 people armed to the teeth, prepared for war. The armed group knew full well that the guards were approaching. So they were sent towards a death trap...

Guard 1: We didn't know what we had come for, we came to protect ourselves... I fired the gun.

'I'm from Tropoja, I live in Tirana.... tell me whatever you want, if you want I can even shoot you in the forehead.....' said the guard.

' They told us to go to the city of Elbasan to catch these criminals, where I knew, I don't know about these things, and they brought us here. Only when the gunshot went off, and only when I saw myself wounded. I don't know anything..... We want a bullet in the forehead, because they want to drag us into a civil war,' said the guard.

The movements of the members of the Cerrik Gang show that they had information about the intervention of the guard to disarm Cerrik. Referring to the data in the investigative file, it is said that the members of the Cerrik gang attacked the Cerrik Police post on May 20, '97. The attack came after the appointment of Agron Kuliçaj as head of this police station, who replaced Fatos Suvari at that time. Kuliçaj was known as a close person of the then president Sali Berisha, against whom the demonstrations had erupted.

After the attack on the police station, the new chief Kuliçaj requested the help of the Minister of Order of the time for reinforcements from Tirana. Through the information collected during the investigation, it is proven that the organization of the Cërriku gang, led by Roland Sota and Meti Bozi, was not a spontaneous action, but a detailed planning.

"If we call what you said a crisis, it was the year 1997 that clearly shows this crisis, and it seems that in those years the gangs also gained momentum. The difficulty, in fact, of trials and investigations has been great, some events still remain unsolved. The fact shows that after many years, perhaps even after 15 years, criminal events and their alleged perpetrators have been discovered, which shows the difficulty in both investigations and trials ," said Saida Dollani, President of the Special Court of Appeal.

Referring to the testimony of the then mayor Michelina Xhelo, the Cerrik Gang was a step ahead of the police in any information. She recounts that on the night of May 22, 1997, a group of representatives of political forces and other individuals asked her to intervene and stop the arrival of special forces.

The gang had information, how the guards were trapped by the volleys

On the day of the incident, at around 07:30 in the morning, Roland Xhepexhiu, Meti Bozi and Llazar Bicja headed to the construction site area in the capital of Belsh, an area of ​​influence of Arjan Toska and the Buzani brothers. They were informed about the movements of special forces from Tirana, who were carrying out a check at the exit of Cërriku.

Referring to the testimony of Bujar Buzani's cousin, Bozi said that the special forces had used violence against a family, beating the owner of the house and attempting to rape his wife. This angered the armed group even more.

"Cases when organized crime, as criminal gangs enter into a special form of cooperation and in this case into the broad field, or in the broad term of organized crime, and organized crime, which at that time was consolidated in its formation, found mechanisms to achieve through threat the decision-making they sought to have," said Saida Dollani, President of the Special Court of Appeal.

After Met Bozi's words about the actions of the special forces in local families, Arjan Toska and his men take up arms and head towards Cerrik. When they arrive, they enter the city cinema and position themselves on the second floor. In the windows of the building, the gang's Kalashnikovs and machine guns are lined up with a clear view of the city. Immediately after their positioning, the first blind of the special forces passes.

"The event is very serious, it is one of the events that had many victims in those years, the way it developed was very harsh, the case of Cerrik is not like other groups", said Kreshnik Muftari, a professor of Law.

"The guards went, with the aim of disarming them, since there was a very large amount of armament in the city, for as few residents as there are. Word spread that the entire guard was coming, the entire city gathered, and then what happened happened," said Alban Qafa, lawyer.

3 efektiv të Gardës, Besnik Sula, Sali Martini dhe Petrit Ndoj, mbetën të vdekur. Dy efektivë të tjerë, Halit Haxhia dhe Bashkim Mnella, nuk mundën të dalin nga blindi, duke u shkrumbuar brenda nga flakët.

“Drejtësia funksionon në bazë të provave, pra nëse ka ndodhur një vepër penale ngjarja është aty, por që nuk ka prova mbi autorin që ka kryer këtë vepër penale, ndoshta duket si pak e vonuar që pse në atë moment autori që ka kryer këtë vepër penale nuk është përballur me drejtësinë dhe duket sikur diçka është vonuar. Por po ti referohemi faktit të zbulimit të autorit dhe përballjes së tij me drejtësinë, del që drejtësia funksion. Kështu ka nddodhur edhe me disa ngjarje të vitit 1997”, u shpreh Saida Dollani, Kryetare e Apelit te Gjykates Posaçme

Në këtë ngjarje mbetën të plagosur edhe 16 punonjës të gardës së Republikës. Referuar dëshmive të kohës, prita ishte realizuar nga rreth 50 persona. Por, organet ligjëzbatuese identifikuan 13 persona, 9 prej të cilëve u morën të pandehur, pasi 4 kishin ndërruar jetë. Për këtë ngjarje gjykata dha tri dënime të përjetshme dhe 131 vite burg.

“Me ndryshimet e bëra në vitin 2016, shkruar prokuroria e posaçme kundër krimit të organizuar dhe gjykata e posaçme kundër krimit të organizuar të cilat, kanë kompetencë lëndore për trajtimin e këtyre çështjeve, pra grupet kriminale , banda të armatosura, organizatë terroriste, janë objekt i veprimtarisë së spak e GJKKO”, u shpreh Ardit Kuka, gjyqtar ne Gjykatën Juridiksionit të përgjithshëm Elbasan.

‘Për një gotë raki…’, zanafilla e hasmërisë së përgjakshme mes ‘Mandelave’ dhe ‘Bandës së  Cërrikut’

Arjan Toska, banor i lagjes “Beqir Dardha” në Elbasan, u largua nga qyteti pas një hasmërie të përgjakshme me bandën e “Mandelës”. Lufta mes tyre nisi në mënyrën më absurde: për një gotë raki! Ndoshta ujë...Një ngatërresë që u konsiderua cënim i burrërisë dhe autoritetit.

Në këtë lokal që shihni, i njohur në vitin 1997 si lokali i “Sudes”, pasditen e 14 prillit të ’97-tës, futen Arjan Toska dhe Enver Peqini. Aty ndodhej Eduart Peqini, i njohur si “Mandela”, vëllai i tij Astrit Peqini, me pseudonimin “Pelo”, djali i tezes së tyre Dashamir Bisku, i njohur si Murrashi, dy persona nga Fieri dhe një vajzë.

“Këta kanë kryer krimet më të shumta në qytetin e elbasanit në atë periudhë, dhe të gjithë janë të dënuar ose kanë ndërruar jetë” u shpreh Alban Qafa, avokat

“Ata kanë qenë persona të atij komuniteti perosnat që kishin mundësi të grupoheshin për të ruajtuar territorin e vet nga ngjarje të tjera’ u shpreh  Kreshnik Muftari,  pedagog i drejtësisë

Arjani dhe Enveri, pasi përshëndesin njerëzit që ishin brenda, ulen në një tavolinë ku qëndronte i vetëm një i moshuar.

Në këtë moment kamarieri shkon në tavolinën e tyre dhe i jep një gotë me ujë të moshuarit, duke i thënë se e ke nga “Mandela”.

Duke menduar se po pinte raki, i moshuri ngriti dolli, por kur kuptoi se ishte ujë, ia hodhi kamarierit në fytyrë. Uji spërkati vajzën që ishte ulur “Mandela”, me miqtë e tij.

Mandela considered the old man's act as intentional and began insulting him. When his cousin Enver Peqini asked him to calm down, he severely insulted him as well. Arjan Toska intervened, telling Mandela to stop insulting his cousin.

A fight broke out between Eduart and Enver Peqini, and at this time Arjan Toska intervened, telling them, "It's no fun to fight because you're cousins."

Toska's intervention only increased the tension. The situation deteriorated into physical violence between the two groups, who used bottles and other means.

After hearing about the fight, "Mandela's" younger brother, Gazmend Peqini, who was next to the bar playing billiards, arrives.

At this moment, Eduart Peqini orders "Murrashi" to go get the weapons to kill Toska and his uncle's son.

After a few minutes, “Mandela”, “Pelo”, and “Murrashi”, return armed and shoot at Arjan Toska and Enver Peqini, who returned fire. Gazmend Peqini, “Mandela’s” brother, was killed in the shooting. After the incident, Arjan and Enver immediately left the “Tabakane” neighborhood, where they grew up, hiding in Cërrik...

"At the time they were committed, the perpetrator was not discovered, but there are cases that were discovered after 15 years and now there are processes initiated in special courts where the perpetrators of these criminal offenses are facing justice," said Saida Dollani, President of the Special Court of Appeal.


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