Details have emerged about the profile of the perpetrator of the incident in Maliq, who killed a police officer and injured another. Violand Bracellari was known in his area as a problematic person, while he was wanted for drugs, while he has a criminal record.

It is learned that since 2017 he has been wanted by the Vlora police, and was considered a dangerous person in the Maliqi area.

The 43-year-old is suspected of being involved in several criminal events.

Korča/Preliminary information

One police officer was killed in the line of duty, and another police officer was injured, from a gun attack by a wanted person who was neutralized and injured during the exchange of fire during an operation to capture him.

In implementation of the plan of measures for the capture of wanted persons, based on the information provided on the location of a wanted person, with high risk, the services of the Korça Local Police Directorate, the Maliq Police Commissariat and the Korça Police Commissariat, have organized the work and have gone to the Lozhani area, on Mount Boden, Maliq Municipality.

At around 07:30, the Police services surrounded the place (stall) where the wanted person was suspected of hiding, specifically citizen Violand Braçellari, 43 years old, sentenced in 2017 to 9 years, 11 months and 7 days of imprisonment by the Korça Court, for the criminal offense "Production and sale of narcotics", while in 2011 the security measure "Arrest in prison" was imposed on him, for the criminal offense "Cultivation of narcotic plants".

The Police Services called on the wanted person to come out and surrender, but he did not obey the Police call and opened fire on the Police officers, resulting in the death of the Police officer, Inspector EM, 34 years old, and the injury of the Police officer, Inspector EA, 36 years old (both employees of the "Eagle" Special Force of the Korça Police Department).

To neutralize the wanted man's attack, the Police services responded with firearms and, as a result of the exchange of fire, the wanted man, citizen Violand Braçellari, was also injured and was subsequently arrested.

A medical helicopter has been dispatched to the scene.

The investigative group, under the direction of the Prosecutor's Office and in cooperation with the Police Supervision Agency, is continuing its work on the full legal documentation of this very serious event, where a Police officer lost his life in the line of duty and another Police officer was injured.