A 65-year-old man has been arrested in Mirditë after, according to Police, he was caught in the act of lighting three fire spots in the village of Gziq. The case comes at a time when fires in forested areas are posing increased risks, while authorities are presenting the arrest as a blow against deliberate arson.
Police say he was caught in the act after field surveillance
According to the official statement, services of the Mirditë Police Station completed the coded operation “Piromani” after receiving operational information and conducting field surveillance for three days.
Pashk Marku, 65, a resident of the village of Gziq, Rrëshen Administrative Unit, Municipality of Mirditë, was placed in handcuffs. He is accused of the criminal offenses of “Destruction of property by fire” and “Destruction of forests and the forest environment by fire.”
Three fire spots and a forested area affected
According to Police, at the moment of his arrest the 65-year-old had just lit three fire spots in the village of Gziq.
As a result, the official version says, a forested area was engulfed by the flames. The fire spots, according to the authorities, were quickly brought under control by fire services in cooperation with local police.
Suspicions over other cases in the municipality
Beyond the episode for which the arrest was made, investigators say it is suspected that the same citizen may also be responsible for several other cases of arson in the territory of the Municipality of Mirditë.
That part remains under verification and, so far, no specific episodes or other evidence have been made public that would officially link him to cases other than the one in which he was caught in the act.
Case file under the direction of the Prosecution
Crime Investigation specialists at the Mirditë Police Station, under the direction of the Prosecution, are continuing actions to fully document the other cases for which suspicions have been raised.
The procedural materials are expected to be forwarded to the Prosecution for further actions, while it remains to be seen what will be proven beyond the Police’s initial statement.
The case in Gziq has renewed attention on the damage caused by arson in forested areas and on the need for responsibility to be proven through a full investigation, not only through operational announcements.
At this stage, the arrest and the suspicions over the other episodes remain within the framework of the official version and the investigative procedure being led by the Prosecution.