U.S. Ambassador Ries and Interior Minister Olldashi Sign FBI Equipment Donation Agreement (June 29, 2006)

U.S. Ambassador Marcie B. Ries and Interior Minister Olldashi signed today a grant agreement for the donation of equipment to the Ministry's Directory of Organized Crime and the Directory of War Against Terrorism Acts and Open Crimes.  FBI, through the Southeastern European Cooperative Initiative (SECI), donated the equipment.

The $335,000-donation will provide Albanian law enforcement with vehicles and with better resources in three areas: protection of personnel tasked with arresting violent offenders; enhanced computer technology to analyze complex organized crime groups and share intelligence information; and other sophisticated tools to help identify and gather evidence against organized crime groups.

The donation includes 100 desktop computers, eight laptop computers, 30 printers, one fax machine, 10 automobiles, six motorcycles, and 55 bulletproof vests.

Through our assistance programs and joint activities, the U.S. Government remains committed to helping Albanian law enforcement authorities succeed in the important fight against organized crime.

###