Part Seven
Memorie.al / The CIA have provided details on how the State Security operated in communist Albania led by Enver Hoxha. Through a declassified document, it is shown who the leaders were in the districts and what the main bases were. It also shows how the police functioned.
Continues from the previous issue
October 1950
Police Forces
The law enforcement forces in Albania are the Police and the State Security, where each of them has its own directorate in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The General Directorate of Police is headed by the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Colonel Sali Ormeni. The police directorate directs through sections, the Department of Internal Movement, the Department of Civil Movement, the Department of Prisons, the Department of Administration and the Department of Cadre. The section of internal affairs has jurisdiction over the movement permits of citizens in general.
The section of political affairs issues identity cards and keeps necessary statistics of the population for the Party Committee. The Police Directorate also has sub-departments of automobile traffic, firefighting, investigations and a unit of detectives for wanted persons and deserters, with about 25-30 persons. In every party committee there is a section of internal affairs, which depends directly on the section of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
In every locality there is a police force of from 5 to 15 police officers, led by an officer. Villages elect a policeman, who works without salary with a two-month mandate. The director of the police of Tirana and consequently also of the Security, is Colonel Halim Xhelo. The city of Tirana is divided into 3 police regions, each with a force of 50 to 75 people. There is also a special force of 200 to 300 police officers, charged with guarding the ministries and parliament, in addition to the usual police duties.
After release from service, soldiers are asked if they wish to continue serving as police officers. If they answer positively, they begin training for a period of three to six months. To become a policeman one must necessarily be a member of the party. In Tirana there is a police school, where candidates to become police officers take courses from six to ten months. Most of the students in this school are illiterate peasants.
The teaching programs are based on Soviet teachings, who openly control the institution. There are separate trainings for candidates of the separate branches of the police, such as firefighters, traffic police, etc. The food of the police officers is good and is considered better than that of the army. The salary of an ordinary policeman is 2800 lekë. The salaries of officers are not based on their rank, but according to the responsibility that each holds and according to his ability.
The police uniform is dark blue accompanied by caps. The police are armed with Soviet revolvers and “Kalashnikov” automatics with magazines of 36 cartridges. Every police region has a motorcycle. The General Directorate of Police has ten motorcycles, two automobiles and one “Gaz.” There are no harsh restrictions on the movement of people within Albania, but citizens must have their identity cards.
No travel permits are required, but drivers must have the list of passengers, which further passes to the section of internal affairs of the police. Every movement from the place of permanent residence is reported to the police, just as the arrivals from other places and cities are reported. The latter causes the arrival to receive the necessary assistance or food. Even when a family expects a guest from outside the city, it must report to the police. The police can make inspections in the homes of suspects, especially during the night, to discover if friends are being hosted without notification.
September 1953
Organization of the State Security
The Commander of the Security Brigade is Colonel Xhelal Xhuli, who replaced Major Mehmet Jaho, in August 1952. The latter has the rank of lieutenant-colonel and is studying at a military school in the Soviet Union. Xhuli was employed in the Security forces before the liquidation of Koçi Xoxe and at that time was dismissed, but later was reactivated by Mehmet Shehu, who placed him at the head of the brigade. Assistant commander of the brigade is Azbi Lamçja, who replaced Major Medin Bilbili, who had held this post until August 1952.
The political commissar of the brigade is first-class captain, Sotir Bandilli. He has replaced the first-class captain, Maman Saliu, who served until August 1951 and then was promoted to another position in the Armed Forces.
The main headquarters of the brigade includes the operational section commanded by Sejdo (……) who has replaced Ali Dule, who held the post until 1951. The political section is commanded by Lieutenant Bardhyl Daci. The financial sector is directed by an unidentified officer.
The communications section consists of four telegraph operators and has one radio apparatus. The transport section has one off-road vehicle, 3 or 4 vans of an unknown type, and 1 or 2 motorcycles. The main headquarters of the Brigade is located on “Rruga e Elbasanit” in Tirana, in the “Palace of Brigades,” where the main headquarters of the People’s Defense is also located.
The first battalion of the Security brigade is located in Shën Pal, in Rrëshen of Mirdita. It is commanded by Captain Ali Dushku, who has replaced Captain Azbi Luçi, who had commanded the battalion since its creation until 1952, when he was promoted as brigade commander in the army. Its political commissar is a second-class captain.
The battalion has about 150 people, soldiers and officers, and is equipped with a radio station and a motorcycle. The second battalion of Security has two companies positioned, one in Mamurras and one in the district of Kruja. Until the beginning of 1951, it was commanded by Captain Cemo …, while currently it is commanded by Rexhep Valbona from Valbona in the Kolgecaj area, who previously had been commander of the border battalion in Tropoja.
The commissar of the second battalion is Captain Ramadan … while the second officer is Lieutenant Tare Balliu. The first and third companies of the third battalion are stationed in Puka, while the second company is positioned in Kukës or Bicaj. The battalion is commanded by Captain Petro Opari.
The political commissar is Nasi Zoga from Korça, who has been here since the creation of the battalion. The military commander of the third battalion has previously been Captain Ali Dushku, until he was transferred as commander of the first battalion; it is not yet known who will replace him. The supply officer has been a certain Sefedin, while his assistant was called Nuredin.
The office worker is called Fazli Begu, while the radio-telegraph operator is Ndue Noci. The commander of the first company of the battalion is a certain N. Cerina, while the political commissar is Fazli Bregu. The first sergeant of the first company is Shuaip Veseli. The leader of one of the squads of the third battalion is Banush Qafzezi, his deputy is Zajim Shehi.
Another squad leader is Officer Zajim Shehi and Xhelal Uka. One of the deputy squad leaders is Tare Balliu. In the second company of the third battalion the following officers serve: Lieutenant Sabri Muka, until before his transfer to the fourth battalion in 1951, Lieutenant Ajdar Dina from Gjirokastra, first sergeant Beca Zagarari, Ligar Koklima from Delvina, Vangjel Lushi. The fourth battalion was organized in April 1951 in Tirana and then was sent to Gramsh, in the district of Elbasan, where it is currently located. The battalion has three companies and three squads in the districts of Korçë, Gramsh and Tepelena.
15 May 1953
Memorandum for the Deputy Director
Subject: Possibility of an appeal to Senator McCarthy for investigations against the NCFA.
For two years our SE branch has made efforts for the expansion of the National Committee for “Free Albania” with the representation of two groups that are currently not represented. One of these groups, the “National Front” led by Ali Këlcyra, was separated from the “Agrarian National Front” in 1950 and has requested to be accepted in the committee as a separate party.
But during the prolonged negotiations with the NCFA, it became understandable that further attempts for its expansion against the will of the leadership would bring turmoil in the NCFA itself. Therefore the division has received information that representatives of the Front may appeal to Senator McCarthy for an investigation by his committee.
The indicators that the group of Ali Këlcyra may make such an action are as follows:
- a) A letter dated March 14, 1953 from Halim Begeja, general secretary of the “Front” and its representative in New York, to Ali Këlcyra during the latter’s trip to Greece, which was intercepted by the Greek services and passed to the CIA by our connections. The letter assured Këlcyra that among other things, nothing would be done for the creation of a true nationalist committee with anti-Prizren members (supported by Yugoslavia), until the issue was brought before Senator McCarthy and his Senate sub-committee.
- b) In a March 1953 report, Halim Begeja is reported to have expressed his impatience with the NCFA over the continued non-inclusion of the “National Front” in the Committee, saying that if his party were not included, he would seek other ways to fight communism.
Although the above threat is only a small blackmail of the “Front,” such an investigation may be of interest to dissident elements of the Albanian emigration, enough to seek the dramatic hearing with Senator McCarthy. Similar threats for the request of assistance from leaders of the Congress have also been made earlier against the NCFA, but they have not been followed further.
Our division is taking advantage of this opportunity to bring to the attention of the authorities a possible embarrassment, after the serious consequences of the Senate committee’s investigations into CIA-directed operations for dissident groups in emigration. This concerns not only the case of the Albanians but also other groups of Eastern Europe that may be dissatisfied with their treatment or with positions similar to that of the NCFA.
In connection with the case in question, a highly publicized investigation into the composition and activities of the NCFA in Rome would reveal our involvement and support for the Committee, and consequently would damage our control over it. Also the negative publicity that a possible investigation of this nature would bring, both on individuals and collectively, would make it almost infectious as a political front.
With what was said above, our division requests that the Legislative Council be informed of the situation as it stands now. It may be possible, through authorized contacts, to ascertain whether such a contact has been made or not with Senator McCarthy, by the Albanian group, or to notify us if such a movement occurs./ Memorie.al
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