Albanian extremist groups cause reaction in Greece | Serbianna Analysis

The AK-47 was first adopted in 1949 by the Soviet Army. It fires the 7.62x39mm M43 round. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sep 2, 2012

By Ioannnis Michaletos

Since 2010 and the beginning of the Greek debt crisis which has resulted in an outright economic depression in the country, the Greek security services have investigated around the potential of extremist groups, in this particular case, Albanian ones; taking advantage of the situation for either criminal or nationalistic purposes. The research has provided data of increased importation of armaments into the country, as well as, the formation of close-knit potential extremist groups within the Greek territory that are for the moment in communication with other cells in Albania and elsewhere.
In late August 2012, a video that briefly aired on YouTube showed a band of around 5 Albanians in a mountainous location near Kukes in Albania, firing against a Greek flag with AK-47 (Chinese type) and issuing threats for mass assassinations of Greek citizens, as well as arsons. Incidentally, there were several arson cases in Greek forests during the summer period, and also in FYROM and Serbia and a number of local pundits blamed -amongst other- Albanian extremist groups as responsible for such illicit actions.

The video where the Albanian group was firing rounds with Kalashnikov was clad in paramilitary summer uniforms, with the insignia of the “SS”, a reminder of the 21st Waffen – Gebirgs – Division der SS Skanderbeg that was established in April 1944. Forensic security analysts in Greece have assured that this video was made for the purposes of “psychological warfare” and should be related with the inner workings of Neo-Nazi Albanian tendencies of extremist groups that are scattered between Albania, Kosovo and FYROM.

In Greece, a group of Albanians residing in the Kalavryta region of North-Western Peloponnese and in the Menidi outskirt of Athens reposted the video through their Facebook accounts. Subsequent investigation by the Greek state security revealed that the group was in the process of evolving into an extremist one as well, by mimicking the Neo Nazi tendencies of those in the original video. Scores of photo material was confiscated and one person was deported for being without legal documentation in the country. What’s most important though is that a wide-scale mobilization in the security forces was enacted in order to disband other groups before they became a threat in terms of social stability.