The show "Në Shënjestër" published this Tuesday a piece on the February 2005 escape attempt by "Gaxhai", as Gazmend Braka is otherwise known, one of the strongmen of Vlora.
In the courtyard of prison '302', several of the institution's security officers have just left a routine meeting.
But as they wait for their colleagues, suddenly beneath their feet it seems as if the sole of the earth was suddenly swallowed up by an abnormal force.
What they initially thought was a crack in the ground, caused by the vibrations caused during the day by a tracked tractor working in the yard of the high-security prison.
But as they looked down, what they saw was a lamp shining its dim light into the darkness of the pit that had formed beneath their feet.
A shocking discovery, where after the light of this lamp, they would arrive and discover who the character was who was trying to escape.
It was soon discovered that it was Gazmend Braka, otherwise known as 'Gaxhai'.
One of the strongmen of Vlora in the dark year of 1997.
Gaxhai, who was serving a life sentence in this prison, but who had not made this his first escape attempt.
After three years earlier, in collaboration with two life convicts, Viktor Ymeri and Taulant Balliu, they had unsuccessfully attempted to escape from prison '302'.
Based on the reporting material dated August 7, 2002, received from Police Station No. 3 in Tirana;
The Military Prosecution has initiated criminal proceedings against the defendants Kujtim Gjura, Kujtim Dervishi, Nazmi Çela, accused of the criminal offense of 'Abuse of duty'; Agim Demaj, Ilir Topi, Ilir Dauti, accused of 'Violation of guard service rules'.
As well as Gazmend Brakaj, Viktor Ymeri, Taulant Balliu for the criminal offense of 'Removing a prisoner from his place of residence' committed in collaboration and remaining in the attempt.
And Ylli Hasani, Genci Hamzaj, Artan Xhixha, Islam Veshti for the criminal offense of 'Failure to report a crime'.
The first escape where the show 'Në Shënjestër' has secured the Court's decision, which also sheds light on the dynamics of the attempt from the cells of the high-security prison, where small saw blades were inserted inside them that were used to cut the bars...
On August 6, 2002, at around 7:00 p.m., the walls of the '302' prison in Tirana were discovered to have been breached, on the third high-security floor, between rooms 10 and 11 of this floor, as well as between room 10 and the Facilities Preservation and Security Branch.
Defendants Gazmend Brakaj, Viktor Ymeri and Taulant Balliu had opened the dividing walls between the two rooms. According to the crime scene inspection report, two small saw blades and a 'T'-shaped piece of iron cut from the beds in room 10 were found. The saw blades were used to cut the wall bars while the piece of iron was used as a crowbar to open the walls.
As for the defendants, the convicted persons who were in room no. 10, Genci Hamzaj, Ylli Hasani, Artan Xhixha and Islam Veshti, it turned out that they were fully aware of the actions of the defendants in room no. 11. This is also confirmed by the evidence, the coffees they drank in each other's rooms.
But after failing in this plan, three years later, 'Gaxhai' hatched another almost ingenious plan for his escape from prison.
A tunnel that would pass under the prison yard and end outside it, in a flower shop, just a few meters in front of the outer perimeter wall of prison '302'.
But fate this time also did not want to be with him and it was not finalized successfully until the end.
Because with only a few hours separating him from his much-desired freedom, all his work and that of those who were helping him from outside came to naught.
This was after a landslide in the prison yard revealed the tunnel he had prepared and thus the entire escape plan.
While they could have done the most voluminous work.
Perhaps working for weeks, assisted by outsiders, who even today remain unidentified.
But what really happened that February of 2005?
And what was the plan of Gaxhai and his aides abroad to save him from long imprisonment?
How does the current deputy director of prisons, Femi Sufaj, remember this event, which he describes as one of the most spectacular that has occurred in the history of escapes from prisons in Albania, throughout their long history?
"It can be included in those escapes that, despite remaining attempted, we usually call sensational."
This happened in February 2005, when the staff was coming out of routine meetings that were held every day to divide tasks.
It was found in front of the information officer's office, inside the prison gate, that the ground had cracked, and after excavations began, it was seen that there was a lit lamp, which was immediately understood to be a work of art.
"It is understood that they intended to escape," Femi Sufaj, deputy director of prisons, tells the show "Në Shënjestër".
Those days, according to information within the prison, a chain tractor was working inside the yard.
Which seems to have been a good omen for the planners of 'Gaxhai's' escape plan.
A tractor that, with its noise, would allow the people who were working on opening the tunnel to work quietly.
Without feeling worried that someone might dictate them.
They also wouldn't have thought that the power of this tractor would cause them further trouble and would collapse the soil on the nearly 22-meter-long tunnel they had built with so much effort.
"Then the staff, the security services, after quickly informing other state institutions, the General Directorate of Prisons, surrounded the institution, counted the prisoners and, after more than an hour of operations on the ground, it was determined that we were dealing with a tunnel about 22 meters long that started from a flower shop in front of the prison, and that passed through the sidewalk below the street," continues Femi Sufaj for the show "Në Shënjestër".
It would be precisely this flower shop located opposite the prison gate, which would serve day and night to remove the soil that was being dug out of the tunnel.
The works, it must be said, had progressed sufficiently and were almost at their completion, as they had extended to the building's courtyard.
A job that apparently took several months.
Where during the day, soil was taken out of the flower shop through the pots.
'Gaxhai', who as we said, did not have this as his first attempt at escape.
It was even said at that time that there was a pact between the prison bosses and sworn opponents, 'Gaxhai' and Zani Çaushi, known as 'the strongman' of Çola, until they achieved their goal of escape.
"The subject who was suspected of being able to escape had also attempted to escape in August 2002 along with several other exponents, so he was a subject known for his efforts, his attempts to escape."
It was a distance, about 11 meters to reach the target.
I was present, I even wrote a report at that time.
This was actually a foretold event.
Of course, at that time, the daily press release said that we had information.
I don't doubt that they may have had information, but if they had information, they would have immediately arrested the people who had been working there for months at the flower shop.
"In fact, the truth was never fully learned," declares Femi Sufaj, Deputy Director of Prisons.
Although the plan was discovered in time, Gaxhai's collaborators in this escape scenario were never informed.
Not even today, 20 years have passed since this event. Meanwhile, he continues to serve a life sentence.
Meanwhile, what is known is that the tunnel started outside the prison and ended inside it.
"The tunnel started from outside the prison, towards the prison.
Of course he worked with collaborators outside, because he didn't build the tunnel while he was in prison.
"There is always a tendency for prisoners to escape," says Femi Sufaj.
Especially those people who have long sentences. Those who have dangerous criminal histories, those who have conflicts outside, but also inside.
From a professional perspective, it would be absurd to think or believe that an escape plan does not exist in a prisoner's mind.
