Environmental crime with the blessing of the state/ How Prespa is being bitten by the "guardians" of nature!

2025-07-18 15:36:00, Denoncim CNA

Environmental crime with the blessing of the state/ How Prespa is being bitten

This is not some comic skit. It is the shocking reality happening today in the heart of Prespa National Park.

In a normal country, an environmental guard is a symbolic figure – a man who guards, protects, patrols nature from any encroachment. In Albania, this title has become a license for abuse, illegal construction and open extortion of natural resources.

This is the case of Dragan Mitre, an employee of AdZM Korça, who built a building without any permit in the "Venjat e Bezmishtit" protected area, just a few meters from the Monastery of Saint Mary, in the Prespa National Park.

Environmental crime with the blessing of the state/ How Prespa is being bitten

Map taken from AKPT

But worse than the construction is that this crime has political and institutional support from the local leaders themselves .

WHO ARE THE ACCOMPLISHERS?

- Edvis Koki, director of AdZM Korça – that instead of destroying illegal constructions, he helps builders in uniform.

- Olsi Duma, the head of monitoring – who probably monitors what's on the table , not what's being built in the park.

- Pali Kolevski, the mayor of Pustec Municipality – who seems to have abandoned all protected territory for political clientele and private lunches.

Olsi Duma, on the left of the photo

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FACILITY?

This "ecological bunker" has become the center of rampant tables, where illegal game meat, alcohol is consumed, and private activities are carried out that have nothing to do with tourism or environmental education - but only with the corruption and arrogance of local government.

The illegal bunker, owned by Dragan Mitre

This is no longer abuse. This is state-sponsored robbery.

Map of the location where the illegal structure was built

While citizens are asked to preserve nature, not to hunt, not to damage the ecosystem, the "guards" themselves build, hunt, and set up tables in the middle of the prohibited area.