I have connections with the police, 200 thousand lek a head

The show Fiks Fare continued to denounce with voice and image the smuggling of animals from North Macedonia to Albania.

The investigative show’s collaborator managed to track down the organizer of this smuggling, who is named Erion Çapa and lives in the village of Majtar, in Peshkopi. He manages to bring in calves and cows across the green border, avoiding police patrols.

In fact, in a conversation with Fiksi, Çapa says that he charges 100 to 200 thousand old lek to pass a calf. “100 thousand without security and 200 thousand with security. The police want 50,” says Erioni, adding that after the animals come from Macedonia, they go to a slaughterhouse in the Maqellara area, although they are not registered and do not have a health certificate.

On the second day of this investigation, the Fiks Fare group traveled again to Dibër e Madhe, where the owners of the “Kërkuti” farm are meeting. The associate tells them that they have found the person who will carry out the transport and his name is Erion. “Erion Çapa, we know Erin. He came to my farm 3 days ago. He has connections and he passes them on,” one of them says. Rahmi Kërkuti even bargains with the associate.

“4 euros and 20 cents is 1 kilogram of live weight. 8 and a half euros if you get the slaughtered meat. Talk to Erion and come get it,” he tells him. He adds that there are many people who have farms in Dibër e Madhe who work with animal smuggling. “They have all worked. They bribe customs officers and police officers and get away with it,” Rahmiu tells him, while adding that a few days ago a customs officer was caught.

“They caught the customs officer and one of your people who was doing this. He has the same last name as Erioni, Çapa. You talk to Erioni, if he takes over, you have the calves or meat as you want,” he tells him.

After this conversation, Fiks Fare’s associate goes to the village of Majtar, in the Maqellarë Administrative Unit in Peshkopi, to the apartment of Mr. Erion Çapa. He is the organizer of all smuggling and trafficking of animals from North Macedonia to Albania. Erion is found asleep, as he works at night and sleeps during the day. Fiks asks him to pass two calves, which were found at the “Kërkuti” farm. He says he will pass them, and even asks for 100 thousand lek per head without security and 200 thousand lek with security. Erion tells Fiks’ associate that he has connections with the police and that he deals with this work.

But where does he take the calves? The trafficker tells Fiksi’s associate that he is connected to a slaughterhouse in the Peshkopia area and after receiving the calves from Macedonia, he sends them to that slaughterhouse. “It has a license. It costs 30 thousand lek per head. He prepares them for meat,” Erioni tells him.

Fiksi calls him later, asking if he can do it today. He mentions the Kërkuti farm, while Erioni tells him that he will do the shopping and take it from him. The associate also talks to Xhavit Bulliqi, of the “Bulliqi” farm, who knows Erioni. “Erion Çapa, we know him. If Erioni takes over, it’s done. Come on, take it,” he tells him.

None of the farms in Macedonia, or the people who trafficked, issued or used health certificates. It was not known whether the animals had any diseases or were vaccinated. Fiks Fare broadcast a few weeks ago the scheme of how unregistered animals, whose origin was unknown, were slaughtered in a slaughterhouse in Peshkopi and ended up with the consumer.

Meeting between Fiks Fare’s collaborator and Rahmi Kërkuti, owner of the “Kërkuti” farm

Fiction – I need 2 calves and I’ll go with them, you know.

Rahmi Kërkuti – He doesn’t do anything at the border.

Fiction – Doesn’t it work?

Rahmi Kerkuti – Nc.

Fiction – Well, it’s good that we found one there.

Rahmi Kërkuti – After doing well, she does.

Fiction – We found an Erion…

Rahmi Kerkuti – Capa.

Fiction – Yes. Do you know him?

Rahmi Kërkuti – Yes, he showed up 3 nights ago. That Eri is… I talked to him. Did you meet Eri?

Fiction – Yes. So we’re done.

Rahmi Kërkuti – Did you tell Eri who you were or not?

Fiction – I’ve told my stories.

Rahmi Kërkuti – Is the wind going to blow the meat?

Fiction – Yes.

Rahmi Kërkuti – But from that day (the first meeting) I left them, 3-4.

Fix – Did you remove them?

Rahmi Kërkuti – Yes, all over the city. Someone wanted 9 pieces and he took one from me. But it’s not a limit, Eri told you.

Fiction – I know, I know.

Rahmi Kërkuti – About 3 days ago, the day you left, a customs officer was arrested here. Your state, your customs officer. He was arrested here, not here. The man was also arrested here. Can’t you take this meat outside?

Fiction – Now I’m taking them both at once and we’ll talk again.

Rahmi Kërkuti – Your calves are first class, one is second class.

Fiction – We have two, so we took it over. I said you took it over?

Rahmi Kërkuti – You have meat at my place, the meat will be weighed for 8 and a half euros.

Fixed – 8 and a half euros…

Rahmi Kärkuti – Meat, meat.

Fiction – I received an award for living there.

Rahmi Kërkuti – We also give the living. 160 kilograms …

Fiction – How long does it take you to walk?

Rahmi Kërkuti – He does a lot of smuggling. I tell Eri, this is the meat, take the car and drive it (they also smuggle meat).

Fix – Yes, he’s fixing everything.

Rahmi Kërkuti – Yes, yes.

Fiction – I ran away hoping that you would fix them, when you told me to come and talk.

Rahmi Kërkuti – It’s not up to me.

Fiksi – Najse, let’s talk because you gave me hope. Let’s finish the job.

Rahmi Kërkuti – Listen now, Eri knows it very well. An Eri employee was caught, with the last name Capa, as if Eri has it. Albert Capa, he was caught there. He was caught with some soap, they find some, look, you have it on your phones. Even now, crossing the border, it’s your problem. Not ours, it’s yours. I immediately got it, when they called the customs officer, whether he was from Korça or Shkodra, I don’t know where the customs officer was from. They fired them allegedly to corrupt the customs officer. I know, I know, Eri knows. Eri told me this story, I’m sure he had it for you, uncle I need 2 calves, 2 quintals of meat each. Now I told him uncle I’ll sell the calves. Go talk to him there (with the trafficker).

Fiksi – I’ll talk to you directly, that’s why I came. I was shocked by the price, 8 euros. Is that right?

Rahmi Kërkuti – Live weight?

Fiction – Yes. Live weight how much is the price, right?

Rahmi Kërkuti – What if Eri takes them?

Fiction – I’ll do the job. How much is it worth?

Rahmi Kërkuti – I’ll give you 4 euros 20 live weight. Still better to have it alive than to have it 60% red. As Eri presented it to me 3 days ago, uncle said that meat has gone up a lot here with us (in Albania). Yes, and the police know everything, but we work in the villages.

Fiction – I know, yes, yes.

Rahmi Kërkuti – Those others have worked hard. It’s true, they have worked hard.

Fix – Fix, well done.

Rahmi Kërkuti – There’s an Adnan and others, an Idriz, Naser, they used to do a lot of fraud. They used to do a lot before, a lot.

Fiction – They have passed through the mountains alive, that’s what you mean. In the valley, go in here, go in there. We will fix everything.

Rahmi Kërkuti – If Eri comes to take the calf…

Fiction – Yes, yes.

Rahmi Kërkuti – I’m responsible at the border, because behind me you tell me Rahmi, you did it to me.

Fiction – No, no.

Rahmi Kërkuti – That there are people who work hard at the border. That everyone here knows Erin. They have the connections. Why do they have the connections? Because the one who has the connections corrupts the police.

Fix – And give the schedules where they are.

Rahmi Kërkuti – And that’s it. He (the policeman) says come in, don’t come in!

Fiksi goes to the village of Majtar, in Peshkopi, to meet the person who smuggles animals from North Macedonia to Albania.

Fiksi – Excuse me, does Erion have a house here?

Citizen – Yes.

Fiction – Is Erion Capa here?

Citizen – Yes.

Fiksi – Can you call him for 2 minutes? I just came from there (Greater Dibra), you understand.

Fiction – Erion, are you okay?

Erion Capa – Good.

Fiction – Was he asleep (does he work at night)?

Erion Capa – Yes.

Fiksi – Do you mind, I just came from Dibra. I was at Shemsia’s, at Rahim’s. Now I’ve talked about 2 calves. Now, pass the job on to me, it’s yours now. I’ll take it over.

Erion Capa – Where are your calves?

Fiksi – Give it to me directly, I just need to make sure with you.

Erion Capa – Who should give it to him?

Fiction – Rahimi.

Erion Capa – Who is Rahim?

Fiction – Rahim Kirkuti!

Erion Capa – Rahmiuu.

Fiction – Oh, Rahmi.

Erion Capa – How many calves are there?

Fix – Good, 200 kilograms for one, 160 for the other. I have to take them now. But if that’s the case, it would be better if we slaughter them, tell me where to slaughter them. I mean, I’ll take care of it.

Erion Capa – Where will you take them?

Fiksi – I will take them to Tirana. I have the border problem, I don’t have the Albania problem. Because he told me that there are problems, there are things…

Erion Capa – Now I’ve passed them too.

Fiction – What?

Erion Capa – Now I’ve passed them too!

Fiction – Halal. And then I drank, I sat with 3 friends in a bar in the middle of Dibra and he told me to go and arrange the work with him and whenever you want. Is it done tonight or tomorrow?

Erion Capa – Tonight I’ll get ready, tomorrow with luck, it’s safer for us.

Fiksi – You know, give me a guarantee. I called you on the phone, man. You must have been asleep! You were in a deep sleep. If it’s done, just talk to them.

Erion Capa – With a guarantee of 200 thousand lek, without a guarantee of 100 thousand lek.

Fixie – 200 with warranty?

Erion Capa – Yes!

Fiction – What should we do, I’m interested in the guarantee, my friends.

Erion Capa – There are money guarantees here…

Fiksi – Okay, I understand, well done. Because man, well done.

Erion Capa – If you shop here with me, I guarantee it to everyone.

Fix – No warranty how?

Erion Capa – I’m losing it, these old people have let me pass them by. Better on foot!

Fiction – 200, we’ll leave it at that.

Erion Capa – If someone is harmed, it falls on them as if I have done it. I will pay the policeman 50, I will pay 50 here, I will pay the worker.

Fiksi – Well done, we’ll leave it at that. I’ll call you.

Erion Capa – Have you weighed them, have you prepared them?

Fiction – I’ve got them ready.

Erion Capa – Everything ready?

Fiction – Yes, yes, yes. I got the best. The biggest one.

Erion Capa – It’s done!

Fix – 200, can I call you tonight?

Erion Capa – I’ll take it now.

Fiksi – You take me. How much does it cost for both of them?

Erion Capa – 400.

Fix – 400, with a guarantee! We don’t have a problem with this.

Erion Capa – I will pay the money to someone.

Fiction – To him (in the police)?

Erion Capa – Yes.

Erioni undertakes, in addition to smuggling calves, to slaughter animals in a licensed slaughterhouse in Peshkopi.

Fiksi – Now, 400 – it goes here and you drop it off here (the calves in the village of Majtar)?

Erion Capa – Yes.

Fiction – I’m coming too, okay. Alive?

Erion Capa – If you want, I’ll kill you…

Fiction – Call me the slaughterhouse too.

Erion Capa – 30 thousand lek is the price of a slaughterhouse, you have everything and you get in the car to Tirana.

Fiction – Even the slaughterhouse, halal?!

Erion Capa – You’re not missing anything from me, boss.

Fiction – Halal, I don’t care if you don’t keep meat, you know.

Erion Capa – No, no, I said the knife…

Fixed – 30 thousand lek.

Erion Capa – Yes.

Fiction – Are we giving away 30 thousand lek?

Erion Capa – Yes.

Fix – Another 400 (transportation), 30 thousand lek each?

Erion Capa – Yes. That guy slaughtered a calf for 30 thousand lek.

Fix – 30 thousand lek?

Erion Capa – Yes, 4 pieces…

Fiction – At your slaughterhouse?

Erion Capa – No, I don’t have a slaughterhouse, this one does with a license.

Fiksi – Ok, drop your hand. Take me. Please let me know, you heard? We’ve caught up, you heard, I’m about to tell him. Look, he told me he was deserted. You were there, did you talk? Yes, I told him. I’ll tell him to talk to you directly.

Erion Capa – He calls you himself.

Fiction – Well done.

Fiks Fare’s collaborator talks to Erion, who takes over the transport and slaughter

Fiksi – Oh gold, if I bring it to you, if I give you the money here, because I’m here, I’ll go there because I have this conversation for tonight. If I give you the money, will you do that job for me, take me to the slaughterhouse, all the work? If I give you the money, all the work, in your hands?

Erion Capa – Okay, when the calves arrive.

Fiction – Yes.

Erion Capa – The calves will come, you will give the money, I will take them to the slaughterhouse, no problem. I will take them.

Fiksi – What about the calves, how do I bring them from there? Do you arrange all this work? Do they come by van or what?

Erion Capa – What’s with that part, brother? You come here to my house where you were, you’ll get the calves, brother. From there we’ll go to the slaughterhouse together and you’ll get the meat.

Fiction – May God make it lawful for you, do you give me money?

Erion Capa – You can just leave the deposit and you can start working, uncle. When you finish everything.

Fiksi – I made the purchase, he told me on 4, on 4.2.

Erion Capa – 200 (kg), 160 (kg), they all make 1,510 euros.

Fiksi – Okay, once I bring the money here, how much more do I need to bring?

Erion Capa – Will you slaughter them here?

Fiction – I’ll slaughter them there, what should I do now, we left the market to slaughter them here.

Erion Capa – If you want to give it all up, you will either give 2 thousand euros, or you have to give 1 million and 950 thousand Albanian lek. Because the euro has completely fallen and we have to pay him.

Fiction – Okay.

Erion Capa – Call them and tell them to make as much money as they need, give me the money, I’ll take the money to them and…

Fix – Fix!

Fiks Fare’s collaborator also talks to Xhavit Bulliq, after Erion Capa takes over the transportation of the animals.

Fiction – Did you find 2 calves that I arranged to pass here?

Xhavit Bulliqi – Where are you?

Fiksi – Yes, I’ve arranged the work, I have a man here.

Farm – Where do you have it, what kind of people do you have?

Fiction – I have Erion!

The Farm – Erion Capa?

Fiction – Well done.

Farm – But he’s quiet, quiet. Have you talked to him?