Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al/ publishes the unknown story of Dr. Hasan Luçi, former Chief of Intelligence for “reactionary emigration” outside Albania in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in the ’70s -‘ 80s, who testifies about Avdul Banushi, otherwise known as a ‘CIA agent’ who dropped bombs on the Albanian embassies in Rome and Paris in 1974 and entered several times with secret reconnaissance missions in the territory of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, until he was arrested on April 7, 1975 near the Albanian border with Mount Zi near Hani i Hotit, after a trap prepared personally by the then Minister of Internal Affairs, Kadri Hazbiu, infiltrating several people in the gang led by Avdul Banushi. Rare testimony of the former Chief of Albanian Intelligence, Dr. Hasan Luçi, who tells about his mission in Burrel Prison, where he went to meet Avdul Banushi, to whom he offered the cooperation with the State Security, as well as his negative answer, saying: “If you take me out of prison, I will do the same thing 100 more times, I will bomb you again”!
Regarding the testimonies of Avdul Banushi given in his exclusive interview that Memorie.al published in six consecutive issues, we addressed the former Chairman of the Albanian Intelligence Branch, Dr. Hasan Luçi, at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who has worked for almost 30 years in those bodies and is known to the readers of the Albanian press before and after the ’90s, as well as through several interviews given by the author of this article for the so-called “Gang of Xhevdet Mustafa”, etc.
Regarding Banushi’s interview, Dr. Hasan Luçi states: “Although I did not have a direct connection with Avdul Banushi’s group, I am aware in general and in particular of that diversionist group, of the cases when he violated in my territory or sector.
The Albanian intelligence that had a long experience with the gangs followed with priority that group since it was created by the organization “Resistance Front”. Likewise, since that group was formed, through our collaborators in different countries of the World we have been following all its movements and hostile acts, as well as being aware of the base where they were training in the Amazon. But from time to time they hid their tracks from us, because to move from one state to another, they made many other false movements in many different countries of the World. Therefore, we found it impossible to follow their movements in those countries, either financially, with associates, or even due to the lack of visas that could not be obtained in time.
Likewise we could not tell our collaborators more than they knew about the pursuit and control of that group, while we ourselves found it impossible to follow them because of our presence in those places and states where they moved, or on the bases they trained, could also create diplomatic and interstate problems. We were fully aware that Avdul Banushi was the leader of the group and that he was leading the missions towards Albania, where he had committed several terrorist acts, but we had a hard time catching him, because we did not know everything about the time and places he entered. he landed.
We also knew some of his friends and collaborated with some of them. Even in November 1974, in the big parade of the 30th anniversary of the liberation, we knew that he had come to Tirana with his group and was sheltered at a base in the “Shallvare” Palaces, but we did not know the exact place where sheltered. For this reason, the leadership tribune was moved from the “Dajti” Hotel to the Prime Ministry, in order to ensure the life of the leadership and the main leader of the Party, Enver Hoxha.
We fell in their tracks several times and also caught the explosive material they had hidden in the border area, but they left us again, coming out of our state border, because they smelled the ambushes. Avduli had illegal experience and detective and defensive qualities, was agile and displayed high degree of natural ingenuity. He also had the nature of a brave and warlike lab, according to his own concept of war between two systems.
So we were dealing with a strong opponent with great external support, and internal connections. The only way to capture Avdul Banushi was to use his arrival in Albania through a combination and for this; we needed a lot of time. He was caught and arrested in 1975 that New York friends who followed this group, worked brilliantly.
While serving his sentence in Burrell Prison, I went there and in the one-on-one meeting with him, I tattooed the pulse of his determination after he received his sentence, if we could make any agent combination within the country, or launch it in the West, where he worked for Albania. But Avduli was very determined in his anti-communist path and he answered me by saying: not only would he not work for us, but if he got out of prison, he would do the same thing 100 more times, put bombs, etc.
After the 1990s, when he came out of prison he came to meet me and we have met several times and we continue to meet again, as opposition friends, remembering the events of the time, when we were wrong and what can be done to ease the wounds this country in today’s conditions, having as a compass the role and place of the Albanians. Governments look at their own concerns and not the concerns of the statesmen they serve. Their attitude towards the secret services and the people at risk is ungrateful. They are treated as ordinary and their dedication is not rewarded.
Avduli was an anti-communist of action, but he forgot that the Albanian Intelligence had in his hand the weapon of defense of the Homeland and came to the service of patriots who took everything into account, which Avduli did not always take into account and fell into the trap. I am glad that he shares his memories, not to brag, but that people really understand the aims of the Cold War and the special role of the people who worked in the two camps and that everyone draws conclusions about good and evil which makes the Homeland any government or state. It is time for Albanians to think and work more for them, as the rest of the world did. /Memorie.al
