By Dashnor Kaloçi
The first part
– The report of the head of the Shkoder Interior Branch / “Due to the good organization of the service, they tried with the service unit and carried out the destruction of one border violator, by soldier D.M., while the other was captured alive”.
Memorie.al / While the hands of the clock marked 01:30 on October 2, 1986, the calm of that cold autumn night in the northernmost tip of Albania, in the area of Vermoshi, was broken by several bursts of automatic weapons, which followed from a target pistol, which lit up the whole country on that slope of Mali i Boja, and then, the barking of a dog and the calls and cries of people…! They were the soldiers of the Bashkim border post together with the volunteer forces of that area, (or as they were otherwise known “the riflemen”), as well as other forces of the Army departments, the Internal Affairs Branch of the Shkodra district and the Border Battalion, who covered that area, which since nearly ten days, when an alert situation was given, were in their positions, blocking the border line that was only 400-500 meters away from there, waiting to be captured alive or annihilated , two border violators, who were said to be coming from the depths, with the intention of escaping and crossing to Guci in Montenegro. The border unit soldier who opened fire, along with a member of the volunteer force, approached the silhouette of a man, who they found moaning and covered in blood from the bullets that had riddled his body.
A few minutes later, the soldiers of that border unit and other volunteer forces who rushed to the scene heard the barking of the border dog that his companion had put on the trail to make it possible to capture other offenders. It didn’t take long, when the border dog jumped on a bush, where another person was crouched upside down, and stuck his teeth into his back, ripping and tearing the military jacket he was wearing. After the call; “hands up, don’t move because we’re going to shoot”, the border unit approached him by handcuffing him behind and immediately approached the other group of soldiers and officers, who were standing around the other border violator, who was lying down on the ground, without signs of life, as he had only been able to utter two or three words, telling them that; his name was Sokol Vreshti and he was from the village of Bajzë. Something that was also confirmed by his friend, who was caught alive a few meters away, who told them that; his name was Gjelosh Gega, from the village of Bogë in the highlands of Shkodra, and together with Sokol, they were soldiers in a unit in Vërmik, Vlora.
After that, according to the orders of the chiefs and main cadres of the Internal Affairs Branch of Shkodra, who for a week were leading that search operation from the department of the Border Battalion, Gjelosh Gegë, handcuffed him with his friend, Sokol Vreshti (already dead), and after putting them in the body of a “ZUK” vehicle of the Internal Branch, they started for Shkodër, accompanied by many border forces. For this unusual event, which happened almost 37 years ago, in addition to several meetings of the units of the Border Battalion that covered that area and those of the Internal Affairs Branch of the Shkodra district, where the border guards who had annihilated and captured alive two border violators were congratulated, rewarded (with exceptional permission) and decorated by the Presidium of the People’s Assembly.
Even his friend, Gjelosh Gega, (now 58 years old) who was captured alive by the border and volunteer forces, (who was sentenced to 16 years in prison) cannot give an accurate version of Sokol’s murder for high treason against the country”), since that event happened at 01:30 at night and in the middle of the forest, where he had no chance to see anything! Neither the Vreshti family nor Gjeloshi can give an accurate version, if; Sokol Vreshti, was shot without warning by the border unit, or he was shot and killed, after he was asked to raise his hands, but because he was wounded in one hand, he raised only the other hand and at that moment, the border soldiers shot. Similarly, they still do not have accurate information and do not know the course of the event, therefore; how and when, Sokoli and Gjeloš, made plans and decided to escape from Albania, how they spent the period of nearly ten days, wandering the mountains in the area of Vermoshi, in an attempt to cross the border to Guci, who were the two people that they met by chance in the forest (in Vukël and Lëpushë) and that they immediately alerted the border authorities, to follow them, who were the persons who led that search operation for their capture and above all, who was the man who shot Sokol Vreshti, leaving him dead?!
Regarding these and others, they are made aware of a file from the Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, (formulary, investigative and judicial file), where everything from that tragic event that happened nearly 37 years ago is explained in detail. , in the area of Vermoshi.
SECRET DOCUMENT DRAWED UP BY THE HEAD OF THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF THE SHKODRA DISTRICT, BARDHOSH LAMÇAJ, REGARDING THE EVENT OF DATE 2.X.1986, WHERE THERE WAS KILLED SOKOL NDUE VRESTI AND HIS FRIEND, GJELOSH NDUE GEGA, WAS CAPTURED ALIVE.
Specimen No. 2 SECRET
Shkodër, on 8.10.1986
ADJUSTMENT
ON THE KILLING OF A BORDER VIOLATOR AND THE CAPTURE OF SOME OTHERS IN THE BORDER SECTOR OF D.P.B. Roscommon
On 2.10.1986, at 01:00, in the sector of the Bashkim Border Point, the border violator, Sokol Ndue Vneshta, born in 1965, born in the village of Jeran in the district of Shkodra, currently a soldier, an officer of the Military Department 8791, Vërnik, was killed. Vlora.
On 2.10.1986, in the sector of this post, the border violator Gjelosh Fran Gega, born in 1965, born in the village of Bogë in the district of Shkodër, currently a soldier, an officer of the Military Department 8791, Vërnik Vlorë, was captured.
On 26.9.1986, around 09:00, the citizen N.B., from the village of Vukël, in the place called Kërtok, met two unknown persons, dressed in a soldier’s uniform, who asked him where the road to Vermosh leads from as they were supposedly going to a cousin of theirs.
Suspecting their activity, (because they had with them a loaf of bread, a package wrapped in paper, and they were unshaven), Nika set out to report the border point of Jana, but on the way, she met two border guards of this point , who were going to Vukël and informed them about the suspicions created against these two persons. The border unit, together with N.B., went after them.
When the unit approached at a distance of about 1 km, the border violators avoided the direction of movement towards Vermoshi and entered the forest above the village of Vukël. At this time, the unit signals the mail and goes in search of them. At the place of the event, the ready group went with the commander of the post, Ali Hoxha, and after getting to know the situation, raised the picket and blocked the border, informed the command of the post about the created situation, as well as the volunteer company of the village of Vukël and Nikç .
The battalion command, after being informed by the post command, about the created situation, put service No. the 2 border posts Lëpushë, Budaç and Bashkim, and instead sent the Chief of Staff, Qemal Punavia. The border violators, who had come with permission to their families, after having worked out the escape plan in the ward, meet together in the village of Bogë and head towards Bogë-Vukël-Janë, Vermosh, to realize the goal of escape. They had taken bread and other foodstuffs with them.
On 29.8.1986, after passing through the forest in the village of Vukël, in the place called Kërtokë, they meet the citizen N.B., and ask him about the road that leads to Vermosh. After they realized that, they were dictated by the border unit; they changed the direction of movement and entered the forest, where they stayed until 27.9.1986. Around 11.00 on this date, they continued the movement to make the escape and on the way, they met the citizen Gj.B., whom they asked about the road that leads to the Bordolec Pass, telling her that; we are soldiers in the Bordolec Pass.
But Gj.B., being familiar with the situation, said I will take you to Qafë, since I have the way there, in order to take them to the border checkpoint, or to the blocking units. Realizing its purpose, the border violators entered the forest again, staying until 28.9.1986. Taking advantage of the great density of the forest and the very broken country, on the night of 29.9.1986, they pass through this region and move through the forest of the Selca pits, they go over the Bordolec Pass and remain disguised in the forest, studying the ground of movement of our forces.
On the night of 30.9.1986, for 1.10.1986, the border violators cross from Qafa e Zabel, (above the village of Budaç), to Malin e Bojë (above the village of Vermosh). At around 18.00 on 1.10.1986, they fall into an attempt by the volunteer forces and, taking advantage of the dense forest, manage to break contact with the unit and, after being oriented by the lights of the village of Guci (Yugoslavia), move towards the border.
At 01:00 a.m., an attempt was made with the border unit, Bashkim Border Point, where one was killed and the other was captured alive. The Battalion Command, after assessing the created situation and came to the conclusion that; the suspected persons were border violators, pass the department on standby, service no. 2. The tasks and cadres of the command and headquarters of the Battalion were divided; they went to the main directions for directing the actions, for the search and capture, or the destruction of the border violators. It was organized and blocked the most likely directions of crossing the border.
To help the Lëpushë and Budaç border posts, soldiers from other posts were sent. With the volunteer and armed forces of the Department of Internal Affairs of the deep and border areas and the forces of the Army, the most likely directions leading to the border and deep, from where the border violators could return, were closed. To follow up the situation, the Deputy Head of the Branch was sent from the Internal Affairs Branch, while the Operative Worker and the Police Worker participated in the situation all the time.
In the region where the border violators were discovered by the citizen G. B., among other measures, with the volunteer forces of the army and the residents of the area of the villages of Nikç, Vukël, Selcë and Lëpushë, directed by the cadres of the command and headquarters of the Battalion and the Branch, on 27, 28 and 29.9.1986, a search was organized for the detection, capture, or disposal of border violators.
However, due to difficult weather conditions (rain and fog), wooded and broken terrain, it was not possible to come into contact with the border violators. Therefore, the search was stopped, the blocking of the border line was reinforced, and the service was organized in the most likely directions of movement of border violators, even in depth. On 29.9.1986, to follow the actions more closely, the friends also went; Lahedin Bardhi, Fadil Cani and Ibrahim Tatani, as well as the team commanders from the Training Center.
On 1.10.1986, to follow the actions, the head of the Branch also went. After the border violators came into contact with the volunteer unit on Mount Boja, (above Vermosh), all border posts from Budeci to Velipoja reinforced the blocking of the border. While in the sector of the Bashkim Border Post, which was also the most likely direction, the blocking units were led by the commander of the Battalion on the border line, Vladimir Qirko, and the Commissar of the Post, Rifat Çoka. At the scene of the incident, the comrades Ibrahim Tatani, Zabit Lame, Qemal Punavija, together with the companion of the service dog, went after the border violations.
The Head of the Branch, Lahedin Bardhi and Fadil Canaj, were in charge of the actions at the Post Office. In this difficult situation, border violators chose the shortest way to cross the border. However, due to the good organization of the service, they tried with the service unit, which at 01:00 on 02.10.1986, carried out the destruction of one border violator, by soldier D.M. While the other offender returned to the opposite side of the movement and after an hour, with the help of the service dog, he was caught in the place where he was hiding.
HEAD OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS BRANCH
Bardhosh Lamcaj
SECRET DOCUMENT WITH THE REPORT OF THE INVESTIGATOR OF THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF SHKODRA, SOKOL PUTO, FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF THE PLACE OF THE INCIDENT
Minutes of the inspection of the scene
In Vermosh, today on 2.x.1986, I, the investigator of the Shkodër District Investigation, Sokol Puto, after receiving notification of the event that happened at the Union post office, formed the investigative group composed of me, the criminal expert, Gjolek Ymeri, and the present witnesses, Rifat Çokaj and Ndoc Laskaj, I began to examine the scene.
The place of the event is located in the territory of Bashkim Border Post, near the place called “Stanet e Shurdhi”, in the direction of the border line, about 500 meters away from it. In this place, a footpath can be seen that starts from the border post and continues along the entire border line of this sector.
Model 56 shell casings, German shell casings and some marker shell casings can be seen on this road and on both sides of it. This road can be seen on the south side… (the writing is not understood) of the Boja mountain and …. (the writing is not understood) in the middle of it.
In this country, the boundary line is located at the bottom of the mountain and in a valley crossed by the stream of Vermoshi. Towards the top of which, above the road, the mountain side is covered with bushes up to 2 meters high and the fern can be seen on this slope.
A path, there are fern branches that are developed. This path continues in a straight line, perpendicular to the pedestrian path. At a distance of 5.5 meters further in the direction of this path, from where the footpath comes, you can see blood stains of different sizes, which continue 2.8 meters up the mountain.
Also seen are branches of cut bushes, shells of various cartridges, etc. Nothing else is found. The inspection took place in free time with natural light. The scene was photographed. No similar traces were found. The examination began at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 9:30 a.m. The minutes are read and signed.
Forensic expert Present Investigator
Gjolek Ymeri Rifat Çokaj and Ndue Laskaj Sokol Puto
SECRET DOCUMENT WITH THE PROCESS-MINUTE OF THE INVESTIGATOR OF THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF SHKODRA, SOKOL PUTO, FOR THE EXCURSION OF THE CORPSE OF SOKOL VNESHTI, AT THE PLACE OF THE INCIDENT, BASHKIM BORDER POST OFFICE, IN VERMOSH
Record of examination of a corpse
In Vermosh, today on October 2, 1986, I, an investigator in the Shkodër district investigation office, Sokol Puto, and in the presence of Rifat Çokaj and Ndoc Laskaj, examined a corpse. The corpse is lying in the courtyard of the Bashkim Border Post, face up. It is the corpse of the male sex. With a height of about 180 cm. dressed in military clothes, with an unbuttoned jacket.
He has short brown hair and half-open eyes. On the back of the right hand, there is a tearing wound, where parts of bones are visible. Even on the left hand, there are scars beyond. Also on the outside of the right hand, there is a bullet wound beyond. Even in the jacket, you can see holes beyond.
Nothing else is found. The minutes are read and signed.
Criminal expert Present Investigator
Gjolek Ymeri Rifat Çokaj and Ndue Laskaj Sokol Puto
THE DOCUMENT WITH THE DECISION TO ARREST GGELOS FRAN GEGA, APPROVED BY THE DISTRICT PROSECUTOR OF SHKODRA, FERIAT BRATI
APPROVED
PROSECUTOR
BRATI HOLIDAYS
DECISION
“Arrest”
Today, on October 4, 1986, in Shkodër, I, the investigator of the Shkodër investigation, Sokol Puto, saw the materials of the investigative case concerning the defendant Gjelosh Gega.
I realized
That the defendant Gjelosh Gega, in cooperation with soldier Sokol Vreshti, tried to escape abroad to Yugoslavia. On 1.10.1986, at 24.00, near the border line, they fell into an attempt with the border forces and as a result, Sokol Vreshti was killed, while Gjelos Gega was captured alive.
The offense committed by the defendant and he himself, represent a significant social risk. Since the criminal offense committed is foreseen by article 47/gj+11+13 of the Criminal Code, seeing that the conditions required by article 50 of K.Pr. criminal,
DECIDED
I arrest Gjelosh Fran Gega, a soldier, and isolate him in the rooms of the Internal Affairs Branch of Shkodër, notifying the defendant Gjelosh Gega about this. I submit a copy of this decision to the person in charge of the isolation rooms of the Department of Internal Affairs.
THE INVESTIGATOR
Gjelosh Gega Sokol Puto
The decision was announced to me on 4.10.1986. Memorie.al
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