Author: Denis Tahiri
Amid the rising numbers of drivers not only drunk at the wheel, but drugged as well, the limit was crossed by car racing that turned into a trend during the midnight hours. A video shows a sports car, type Audi, that does not respect a red traffic light. The police alerted for violations of this nature that are not related to the driver's haste but to his condition under the influence of narcotics, signals the audit manager to stop. According to the official announcement, the driver of the vehicle objected to the traffic police officers and tried to leave, but was handcuffed by the police officers. After being escorted to the traffic police premises, he was tested for the use of alcohol and drugs. The young man tested positive and under the influence of cocaine.
But in the face of such situations that during 2021 counted 47 drivers arrested in a drugged state, one month after the use of a special device for drug tracking, the numbers are negligible. According to the sources of Sinjalizo, this device has so far caught only 4 citizens who were driving in the capital red-handed. Others have been found to always have doses of drugs hidden in sneakers, pockets, and seats.
3 thousand dollars a test, but even more expensive tampons
In the face of the alarming increase in users, sources from the Traffic Police inform that there are currently two AquilaScan devices available to the Traffic Police. This is also the reason why it has not been widely used by the police.
"There are two devices and I cannot use them in the field, therefore they are located near the premises of the Traffic Police. When the drivers have indications that they have consumed narcotics, they are escorted, they are tested and based on the results, the procedures follow". the same source told Signal.
Through verifications on various sites about this device, it turns out that its purchase price is $2995. This apparatus, according to the manufacturer's explanation, works by using a sample of oral fluid that is taken using a sponge through which the sample is taken from the inside of the subject's mouth. After the sample is taken, it is placed in the test cassettes and then put into the analysis unit, where it is scanned for 7 different types of drugs. The analysis shows the last use of the drug and also shows the invalid tests on the screen.
A test like that of covid
Besmir Qibini, Head of the capital's Traffic Police in an interview for Sinjalizo, explains that the device works in a similar way to the covid-19 test. "After the secretion is taken on the spot by the driver, within 2-3 minutes the device can detect all types of drugs". he says. But when asked if the placement of this test at the disposal of the Albanian Traffic Police is a "pilot project", the head of the capital's roads does not give a correct answer, but indicates that it is something that is not in all police stations.
"AquilaScan is the latest device that has started to be used for the first time by the Tirana traffic police and we hope that other traffic police stations will follow our example." he says, implying that the device is not located in any other police station of the Republic of Albania except in the capital.
Asked about the number of devices available to traffic police officers, the police official did not give a number. But whether you will be a subject of the drug test in the capital or not, there are a number of factors that decide it, starting from the various police information on people who are suspected of using narcotics. "Irregular or dangerous behavior of drivers on the road, or suspicious element in the behavior of those detained for control. are some of the factors according to the head of the traffic police of Tirana that push the officers to perform the test. Qibini also adds that traffic police officers are trained to detect behavior of drivers that raise doubts about their suitability to use the road.
Law on drunk driving
But if you are found to be driving while under the influence of drugs, the punishment is different from other traffic violations. "These violations are provided as crimes by Article 291 of the Criminal Code and are punishable by up to 3 years in prison. This means that in addition to administrative measures such as revocation of the driver's license, fines and the obligation to retest, drivers who are found to be drunk or under the influence of narcotics are subject to red-handed arrest and criminal proceedings." concludes the chief of the Traffic Police of Tirana.
Experts: The test is expensive, cooperation between different police forces is needed
Although experts see the introduction of drug testing for drivers in Albania as a positive step, they see it with skepticism due to its costs. Gëzim Hoxha, an expert on road safety, says that this is also the reason why it is not used often.
"The device costs 2-3 thousand dollars, but the elements for taking the sample, i.e. the tampons, are expensive. Therefore it is not used often and does not have any great results, not that there are no users at the wheel". he says, adding that the prevention of drivers who use narcotics requires an interweaving between the work of the traffic police and that of the order and criminal, to identify the users and do the test. " That this is something expensive, it is not like the alcohol ampoules that we produced ourselves some time ago". he says, insisting that a database and cooperation between police forces are needed.
"Programs that give alerts are needed. It's the same as when the police put a car on alert, they register it and every policeman who meets it on the street gets an alert, the policeman knows the reason but finds out at the police station where he is then identified". he concludes.
From the research that "Sinjalizo" has carried out, it turned out that tampons for this device cost 18 euros. On the website of a company Romanian company that sells the device, its tampons are listed at a price of 18 euros, while the device itself is about 4000 euros. The Romanian company also provides the specifications of this device which takes 5-10 minutes to identify if the driver has used drugs and what drug he has used out of the 9 types that this device identifies. Among the 9 types of drugs that this device identifies are: cocaine, methamphetamine, benzodiazepine, cannabis, opium, amphetamine, ecstasy, methadone and ketamine.
However, these types of drugs are not the only ones circulating in Albania, which the "AquilaScan" device cannot identify. One of these drugs that is widespread in Albania is heroin, which is found to be such according to the official statistics of the State Police, which in 2010 seized 15.5 kg, in 2011 about 21.4 kg, in 2012 a quantity of 87.7 kg, in 2013 an amount of 47.3 kg, in 2014 a full 73.5 kg, but in 2015 the amount of this drug seized by the police went to 36.9 kg, going to 2016 kg in 57.3. While in 2017, the amount of heroin seized by the Albanian police reached 21.4 kg, having an amount of 23.9 kg in 2018 and 38 kg in 2019. While in 2020 and 2021, 51.6 kg were seized respectively. and 35.5 kg of heroin.
In the list of drugs of the State Police, which have been seized within the territory of Albania, there are also narcosynthetics, diazepan and phentermine.
Drugs trend, but alcohol use remains the biggest concern
And in the face of this innovation in the police, which clearly cannot cope with the flow of drivers with only two devices, the problem for the police remains the drunk driver at the wheel. Even to those who drive public transport. The recent cases of public transport accidents in the capital have once again brought to attention the need to increase security measures. The road safety expert, Gëzim Hoxha, says that it is necessary for these vehicles to be equipped with packages that, if the driver does not take the alcohol test and the result is negative, the vehicle should not be started.
"You have bus drivers who drink alcohol, and a package like this is installed, which if it doesn't blow on it, and if it turns out sober, the vehicle won't start". says the expert, who adds that these packages are expensive, but the cost can be charged to the companies " For public transport, this should become mandatory, there is a precedent in other countries that has worked", he concludes.
Just a few days ago, 3 accidents were registered with public transport vehicles in the capital, where after an accident with another car, a city transport bus ended up in the Lana river, where fortunately there were no victims. But there were also injured people, where 2 people in the car that collided with the bus and 4 citizens in the vehicle ended up in the Trauma Hospital.
