Two Russians and a Ukrainian have been arrested for alleged espionage at a army plant in southern Albania, the Albanian Protection Ministry mentioned late Saturday.
“What pleasure for the army guards who neutralised three people suspected of espionage,” Prime Minister Edi Rama wrote on Twitter, including: “Now let’s look forward to the complete clarification of this occasion.”
The Russian man recognized solely as M.Z., 24, was detained after coming into the plant’s grounds in Gramsh, 80 kilometres south of the capital, Tirana, and taking photographs, the ministry mentioned in a press release.
Two army guards have been injured by what’s alleged to be a kind of paralysing spray utilized by the Russian whereas resisting arrest, it mentioned.
One other Russian girl, S.T., 33, and a Ukrainian man, F.A., 25, have been arrested outdoors the advanced, and their automobile was blocked, the ministry mentioned.
“Three individuals have been accompanied by police which in cooperation with different establishments is investigating the case,” the assertion mentioned, including that army police, military intelligence police and civil and anti-terror police are coordinating on the case.
The 2 military guards injured by the spray have been taken to a army hospital for medical care.
The Gramsh army plant opened in 1962 to supply licenced copies of AK-47 Kalashnikov rifles.
After the autumn of communism in 1990, it stopped manufacturing and as a substitute started to dismantle outdated Kalashnikovs and different small weapons. It additionally repairs different military weapons.
Albania, a NATO member since 2009, has strongly renounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has joined European Union and U.S. sanctions in opposition to Moscow.
