RENEA Operators 11 February 2017
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The Department of Neutralization of Armed Elements () commonly known by its
acronym An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...
RENEA, is the main
Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
n
counter-terrorist Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to com ...
and critical incident response unit. The force was constituted in the early 1990s in response to the growing crime levels in the country after the fall of communism. RENEA's responsibilities are rescue operations, hostage situations, counter-terrorism and response to particularly violent forms of crime. Since 1990, the unit has lost four men in action and more than forty wounded. Their skills are highly regarded and well thought-of inside Albania and in the West, they are reported to have one of the highest OPTEMPOs (frequency of deployments) in all of Europe and they have been trained by
GSG 9 , formerly , is the police tactical unit of the German Federal Police (Bundespolizei). The unit is responsible for combatting terrorism and violent crime, including organized crime. In addition to its headquarters location in Sankt Augustin-H ...
.


Background

Following the emergence of capitalism in Albania after 1990 and in order to eradicate all semblances to and associations with the communist state, many investigators, attorneys and police officers were simply dismissed. This confused situation soon allowed organized and individual crime to flourish to the point that it soon became the norm of everyday life.
Kidnapping Kidnapping or abduction is the unlawful abduction and confinement of a person against their will, and is a crime in many jurisdictions. Kidnapping may be accomplished by use of force or fear, or a victim may be enticed into confinement by frau ...
,
extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit (e.g., money or goods) through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, although making unfounded ...
,
drug-related crime A drug-related crime is a crime to possess, manufacture, or distribute drugs classified as having a potential for abuse (such as cocaine, heroin, morphine and amphetamines). Drugs are also related to crime as drug trafficking and drug product ...
,
murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...
and
human trafficking Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...
were at an all-time high, and the Albanian fledgling democracy did not have the legal, administrative and organizational experience to combat these problems — in fact its infrastructure was almost non-existent. During communism, the force that was entrusted with CT and other special missions was Unit 326, but because of its role in suppressing public unrest during the popular uprising against
communism Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...
, it had been neglected. The new public order authorities recognised the need for a small professional force, and after exhaustive trials and training finally established what subsequently came to be known as RENEA. It was also known as Unit 88. It was composed of eighty members, or operatives, who were elected from the 600 original members of Unit 326. The rest of the operators joined subsequent special intervention groups that came into existence.


Composition of the unit

The real number is secret but is estimated to be about 200 members. Initially, its organization was military in nature, dividing each team in groups of four, after the reputable
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
SAS system. In case of an open conflict, the police were expected to assume military duties. However, after the administrative reform of the Albanian Police, such duties were excluded from the police curriculum. Consequently, even RENEA was reorganized, this time modelling itself after sister units such as GSG-9,
GIS A geographic information system (GIS) consists of integrated computer hardware and software that store, manage, analyze, edit, output, and visualize geographic data. Much of this often happens within a spatial database; however, this is not ...
, NOCS,
GIGN The GIGN ( ; ) is the elite police tactical unit of the French National Gendarmerie. Among its missions are counterterrorism, hostage rescue, surveillance of national threats, protection of government officials, critical site protection (such ...
etc. The tactics are still primarily SAS-based, but not the actual duties. The unit is composed of negotiators, infiltrators, divers,
rock-climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in guidebooks, and ...
,
sapper A sapper, also called a combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, preparing field defenses ...
s,
sniper A sniper is a military or paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with telescopic si ...
s and a small nucleus of logistics operatives.


Structure

Organization: *Support Command :#Directory of Operational Movable Forces (F.L.O), first level (center): :#Sector of planification and coordination of the operations :#Sector of training *Departments and Special Units, second level (base): :#The department of neutralization of armed elements (RENEA) :#The department of helicopters :#Anti-explosive unit :#Unit of negotiation *Composition :#Rapid reaction Unit Shkodra :#Rapid reaction Unit
Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...
:#Rapid reaction Unit
Fier Fier (; sq-definite, Fieri, Latin: ''Fierum'') is the seventh most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Fier County and Fier Municipality. It is situated on the bank of Gjanica River in the Myzeqe Plain between the Seman in ...


Selection and training

In recent years, RENEA has been closely cooperating in the Training of their Operatives with the German GSG-9, as well as other Special Forces such as those from United Kingdom, France and Italy. The selection process is held only once a year and lasts twelve weeks. Subsequently, recruits are trained for an additional nine months in other skills such as linguistics, signals, photography, and hostage negotiations. Candidates also continue undergoing strict psychological and physical tests. Only after a period of three years may the recruit become a RENEA operator cleared in participating in hostage rescue operations. About 90 per cent of candidates come from other branches of the
Albanian State Police The Albanian State Police () is the national police and largest law enforcement agency which operates throughout the Albania, Republic of Albania, ensuring the safety of citizens, keeping the public order, and serving the people anytime anywhere ...
and the Albanian Republican Guard, while the rest are from the
Albanian Army The Albanian Land Force () is the land force branch of the Albanian Armed Forces. Mission The Albanian Land Force's main mission is the defense of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Albania, participation ...
. The military candidates that pass selection must also complete a six-month course on
jurisprudence Jurisprudence, also known as theory of law or philosophy of law, is the examination in a general perspective of what law is and what it ought to be. It investigates issues such as the definition of law; legal validity; legal norms and values ...
. The maximum age for selection is 26 years and candidates are expected to have been members of their respective previous units for no less than two years. The first two weeks are called the "shake-down", in which almost everyone takes part. Only the negotiators and part of the logistics group (not including drivers) are exempted. Candidates undergo long and complicated psychological and durability tests designed to weed out weaker applicants. "Shake-down" is harsh, consisting of forced marches in full combat gear. True to their SAS origins, the operatives must carry a 35 kg (77 lb) backpack, ARX-160 with eight full magazines, handgun and magazines, knives, gas mask, and radio. Their training routes take part in the worst weather, in some of the toughest terrain that Albania has to offer: in the northeastern mountain range (the highest peak is Korabi, at 2,751 metres (9,025 feet)), the marshes of Vlora, and the swamps of
Durrës Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the List of cities and towns in Albania#List, second most populous city of the Albania, Republic of Albania and county seat, seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is one of Albania's oldest ...
and Lezha. Approximately 75 per cent of the candidates fail at this initial phase. The last day is reserved for infiltration tests. The candidates that have successfully accomplished the first phase are left helpless in some remote part of Albania, at a safe distance from the capital, with 200
commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...
s and national guardsmen at their heels. Each is expected to make it back to headquarters in
Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...
unintercepted. If they are caught they go home. Training, preparation and tests change according to the whims of the instructors, who are themselves veterans of the unit. They have a reputation for being unyielding and unmerciful.


The role of the negotiator

From 1991, the unit's negotiators have resolved, without resorting to violence, more than 500 of the 600 cases involving kidnappers and armed occupations. All negotiators must have served for minimum of ten years with the police force and are persons of good temperament and mental balance, with knowledge of all dialects and regional mentalities. They all either have a degree in law or have attended the
police academy A police academy, also known as a law enforcement training center, police college, or police university, is a training school for police cadets, designed to prepare them for the law enforcement agency they will be joining upon graduation, or to o ...
. In addition they complete training courses with the
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
at Quantico
FBI Academy The FBI Academy is the Federal Bureau of Investigation's law enforcement training and research center near the town of Quantico in Prince William County, Virginia. The academy occupies 547 acres (221 ha) on the US Marine Corps Base Quantico. It ...
and with other
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
federal agencies. The negotiators are the first to intervene in cases of an occupation with or without hostages. Nobody intervenes without their explicit order, except in cases when the hostage is already dead.


Weaponry and equipment

The force uses a motley collection of weapons. One of the primary tools is the Heckler & Koch G36, which Albania possesses in abundance.
Submachine gun A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine (firearms), magazine-fed automatic firearm, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to descri ...
s, such as the HK MP5 are also highly regarded. The fighting knives are of mixed origins - Randall and an assortment of locally manufactured products depending on the preferences of the operatives themselves. Knife fighting is a considered vital skill and the operatives are highly trained. RENEA's weaponry is currently being updated and brought in line with weapons that are conventionally used by sister units abroad. The
sniper rifle A sniper rifle is a high-precision, long range shooting, long-range rifle. Requirements include high accuracy, reliability, mobility, concealment, and optics, for anti-personnel weapon, anti-personnel, anti-materiel rifle, anti-materiel and sur ...
is another tool of the trade for RENEA. Initially, the unit favoured the
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n
Dragunov SVD The SVD (СВД; ), GRAU index 6V1, is a semi-automatic designated marksman rifle/sniper rifle chambered in the 7.62×54mmR cartridge, developed in the Soviet Union. History The SVD was designed to serve in a squad support role to provide prec ...
, which, is still in use with the military and various law enforcement agencies. However, the SVD is actually intended to extend the effective range of fire of infantry squads up to 600 metres. Given the delicate nature of their missions, RENEA reverted to "proper" sniper rifles and currently employs
SAKO Sako Limited (natively ) is a Finnish firearm and ammunition manufacturer located in Riihimäki, Tavastia Proper in southern Finland. It also has owned the Tikka brand of bolt-action rifles since 1983, and is now owned by the Italian firear ...
TRG-22, TRG-42 and M10 rifles. Search and rescue training is effected with live ammunition. Operatives themselves simulate the hostage. Many special halls and rooms are built to conduct this type of training, and are known as "SAS Rooms" by the unit. In addition, "Good faith shooting" is practised, which consists of the operatives standing in line facing one another and shooting at targets placed between them. The bulletproof
Kevlar Kevlar (para-aramid) is a strong, heat-resistant synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont in 1965, the high-strength material was first used commercially in the early 1970s as ...
vest and helmet are the same as those used by the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
GSG-9. They are quite heavy, but they can stop a .30-06 projectile. All types of flash-bang,
tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the Mace (spray), early commercial self-defense spray, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the ey ...
and non-lethal ammunition are in the unit's arsenal. British Avalon anti-gas masks, fireproof clothing (the same as used by the
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
GIS A geographic information system (GIS) consists of integrated computer hardware and software that store, manage, analyze, edit, output, and visualize geographic data. Much of this often happens within a spatial database; however, this is not ...
, and NOCS), kneepads, fireproof and tear-proof gloves are also used. Most of the personal equipment is of US origins, but a few Italian types are also in use, such as Vega and Radar. In special situations the use of (German
Heckler & Koch MG4 The Heckler & Koch MG4 (also marketed as the HK123 and was previously known as the MG43 prior to its adoption by the Bundeswehr) is a belt-fed 5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun designed and developed by German firearm manufacturer Heckler & Koch. ...
machine guns) is authorized.
Beretta APX The Beretta APX is a family of polymer-framed, modular, striker-fired semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Beretta. The series began in 2016, starting with the full-size standard model. The line includes compact, concealed carry, and com ...
and Glock 34 are the favorite sidearms. H&K USPs is also in use depending on the personnel preference. Vehicles in use include
Iveco Iveco S.p.A., an acronym for Industrial Vehicles Corporation, is an Italian multinational transport vehicle manufacturing company with headquarters in Turin, Italy. It designs and builds light, medium, and heavy Commercial vehicle, commercial veh ...
vans,
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SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definition ...
s, and a motley collection of armoured and private cars. In waterborne operations, Zodiac boats confiscated from traffickers are in use. Depending on the circumstances, the Albanian Navy could place at their disposal various types of boats and other craft.
Mil Mi-8 The Mil Mi-8 (, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union, Soviet Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute, Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) in the 1960s and introduced into the ...
helicopter is used if a situation demands infiltration by air.


Notable missions

*January 1991: In riots at the Shenkoll (Saint Nicholas) maximum security prison, an armed prisoner took several guards hostage. The attention of national and foreign media was drawn to the crisis. The government of the time sent in Unit 326, the predecessor of RENEA, which quelled the riots using tear gas and rubber bullets, without bloodshed. One operative was lightly wounded in the process. *November 1992: Albania was plagued by massive floods, which inundated many parts of the country. RENEA distributed food and provided shelter and medical assistance for the uprooted via speedboat and helicopter. One operative (killed in the line of duty in August 1993) selflessly dived into the icy waters and saved three drowning shepherds. *April 1996: In a diplomatic high-level meeting between the Italian
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Oscar Luigi Scalfaro Oscar Luigi Scalfaro (; 9 September 1918 – 29 January 2012) was an Italian politician who served as President of Italy from 1992 to 1999. A member of Christian Democracy (DC), he became an independent politician after the DC's dissolution in 1 ...
and
Sali Berisha Sali Berisha (; born 15 October 1944) is an Albanian cardiologist and conservative politician who served as the president of Albania from 1992 to 1997 and as the 32nd Prime Minister of Albania, prime minister of Albania from 2005 to 2013. Berisha ...
in Tirana, a deranged individual armed with a grenade with the safety pin removed sought to approach the two presidents. The two officials were immediately taken away from the scene, while a RENEA negotiator steadily approached the perpetrator and made contact by twisting his arm, taking the grenade from his hand and putting the safety pin back on. *January 1997: A female student in depressive state roamed the streets of Tirana with a grenade in her hand. A RENEA operator approached her and defused the situation without bloodshed. *1997: During the crisis that threw Albania in a state of
anarchy Anarchy is a form of society without rulers. As a type of stateless society, it is commonly contrasted with states, which are centralized polities that claim a monopoly on violence over a permanent territory. Beyond a lack of government, it can ...
as a result of the collapse of various
pyramid scheme A pyramid scheme is a business model which, rather than earning money (or providing Return on investment, returns on investments) by sale of legitimate product (business), products to an end consumer, mainly earns money by recruiting new members ...
s, where three quarters of the population lost their savings, RENEA was entrusted with the task of safeguarding the monetary and gold reserves of the National Bank and other financial institutions. RENEA accomplished the task by removing all valuables from the facilities in unarmed Iveco vans. No money was lost in the process. This operation, at a time when many police officers were killed by angry civilians, is remembered by the unit as Operation Kamikaze. During the same year, 90 per cent of all police stations were looted and taken over by armed individuals. RENEA retook possession of these facilities, recalled all officers to work, and re-established communications and security systems. In many cases, the operatives repaired all damaged property themselves. *1998–1999: During these years RENEA was engaged in fights with multiple gangs across the nation, which, as a result of the previous year's anarchy, were armed with weaponry ranging from personal equipment to artillery and anti-aircraft batteries looted from military depots. *July 1998: The unit conducted a CT mission by arresting five
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
ian terrorists connected to Bin Laden's
Al-Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...
. *March 1999: Three armed criminals murdered three police officers and four civilians. Subsequently, they barricaded themselves into a house, taking hostage a couple and their 7-month-old daughter. A RENEA team went in, freed the hostages, and neutralized the criminals. *May 1999: An Albanian emigrant in
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
, disgruntled with his employer over payment matters, was deported after complaining to Greek authorities. After buying an AK-47 and two grenades, he returned to Greece and went to
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...
, where he took hostage a bus carrying fourteen people. The Greek government gave him the $250,000 that he had asked for and allowed him to enter Albania with his hostages. Close to Tirana, the negotiators sought to convince him to let the hostages free. He wounded one and was killed in return by a RENEA sniper. *1999: Zani Çaushi, leader of one of the most ruthless Albanian gangs, was arrested. The same fate befell the senior leaders of many other gangs. *1999: A gang that had held hostage and then released a senior police official was arrested. *1999: Acting on the request of the Italian government, an individual suspected of the murder of three police officers in
Udine Udine ( ; ; ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northeastern Italy, in the middle of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic Sea and the Carnic Alps. It is the capital of the Province of Udine, Regional decentralization entity ...
was arrested. Although exonerated of this murder, the individual remained behind bars due to other criminal activities. *2000–2001: In three separate operations, three individuals sought for the murder of Azem Hajdari, an Albanian MP, were arrested. This mission was important because Hajdari was one of the most unorthodox and controversial leaders of the political opposition at the time. *February 2001: During Operation Journey Italia, RENEA took credit for destroying an Albanian-American gang, which, in partnership with the Medellín drug cartel and Italian and
Albanian mafia Albanian mafia or Albanian organized crime () are the general terms used for criminal organizations based in Albania or composed of ethnic Albanians. Albanian organized crime is active mostly in Europe and South America, but also in various other ...
, was exploring the possibility of turning Albania into a major international launching pad for the trafficking of
cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
. RENEA arrested all suspects, including a former senior police officer. *January 2002: RENEA destroyed a gang of narcotics traffickers, which was trafficking than 100 kg (202.5 lb) heroin per trip. More than 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) of pure heroin was confiscated. *1990–2004: During the last decade and a half, RENEA has provided escort security to such high-level officials as: former
United States Secretaries of State United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
James Baker James Addison Baker III (born April 28, 1930) is an American attorney, diplomat and statesman. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 10th White House chief of staff and 67th United States secretary ...
and
Madeleine Albright Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Körbelová, later Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat and political science, political scientist who served as the 64th United States Secretary of State, United S ...
,
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
, former
British Prime Minister The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet, and selects its ministers. Modern pri ...
Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...
, Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, and various Italian and Greek prime ministers, in addition to Albanian officials and international officials in government missions in Albania. *June 2014: RENEA in a combined operation with the
Albanian Police The Albanian State Police () is the national police and largest law enforcement agency which operates throughout the Albania, Republic of Albania, ensuring the safety of citizens, keeping the public order, and serving the people anytime anywhere ...
put the rogue village of
Lazarat Lazarat ( sq-definite, Lazarati) is a village in Gjirokastër County, in southern Albania. It is located in the Dropull valley. Formerly functioning as a municipality, as part of the 2015 local government reform, it became a subdivision of the muni ...
under
siege A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...
for a few weeks. Around 800 officers and police agents took part in the operation. RENEA operatives fought against drug traffickers armed with RPGs, AK-47s and other light weaponry. Dozens were arrested and tons of Marijuana and Heroin were confiscated and burnt. There were no casualties from both sides. *June 2015: For the second year in a row, the village of Lazarat was put under siege after one RENEA operative was killed and two others were wounded. After an intense manhunt, both assailants surrendered. *August 2018: RENEA was involved in a massive manhunt to arrest Ridvan Zykaj who killed 8 people in
Vlorë Vlorë ( ; ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, third most populous city of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surr ...
. He was arrested by RENEA in the morning of 11 August. *October 2018: During an operation by RENEA, the 35-year-old
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
Konstantinos Katsifas died on the mountainside over the village of Bularat, in
Gjirokastër Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in Southern Albania, southern Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë moun ...
. He had helped organize the local commemoration for the anniversary of the
Ohi Day Ohi Day (; ) is celebrated throughout Greece, Cyprus and the Greek communities around the world on 28 October each year. ''Ohi Day'' commemorates the rejection by the Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas of the ultimatum made by Italian dictator ...
on 28 October. His death was criticized by the Greek Foreign Ministry, calling it "unacceptable", and demanded a thorough investigation; Albanian Prime Minister
Edi Rama Edi Rama (born Edvin Kristaq Rama; 4 July 1964) is an Albanian politician, artist and writer who has been serving as the 33rd and incumbent prime minister of Albania since 2013 and chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania since 2005. He was M ...
followed by describing Katsifas as an "extremist". Katsifas allegedly opened fire on the Albanian police with an
AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kala ...
, prompting the RENEA forces to later intervene; it is reported that the reason he initially attacked, was either "for the sake of the Greek irredentist cause in Southern Albania", or because he had previously quarreled with a local police officer. The exact circumstances of his death are a matter of dispute. The judicial investigation of the case was assigned to the Prosecutor's Office in Gjirokastër. On 22 April and 13 September 2021, the Prosecutor's Office requested for the case to be closed, stating that Katsifas committed suicide; this was dismissed by the court of Gjirokastër, for failure of the Prosecutor's Office to provide sufficient evidence. On 13 December 2021, the court accepted the request and closed the case. According to Albanian forensic experts, Katsifas committed suicide and died of two wounds to the chest, caused by contact shots; RENEA's initial admission that it killed Katsifas wasn't taken into account. A Greek forensic expert who examined the body concluded that Katsifas died of two wounds to the chest from a distance of approximately 25 meters. The Public Prosecutor's Office in Athens also began its own investigation on 8 December 2019, due to Katsifas also being a Greek citizen.


Casualties

, the unit has suffered five casualties: Officer Luan I. Haxhiaj (1990), Specialist Lulezim R. Sulollari (1991),
Non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...
Arben N. Ujka (1993),
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Elam S. Elezi (1998). On 24 June 2015 during a police operation in the village of Lazarat, southern Albania one operator (Ibrahim Basha) was killed in action, while two other operators (Perlat Hamitaj and Jetmir Isaj) were wounded.


Name

Loosely translated, RENEA stands for "Department of Neutralization of Armed Elements", whereby "RE" accounts for ''REparti'' (Departament), "N" for ''Neutralizimit'' (Neutralisation), "E" for ''Elementit'' (Element), and "A" for ''Armatosur'' (Armed). A common misconception is the addition of the word "Elimination" to account for the second "E". Therefore, the name would get a new meaning: "Department of Elimination and Neutralization of Armed Elements". In another version (received directly by one of the most representing members of the group previously called "repart 326") the first "e" of RENEA stands for "Energjike".


Equipment


Other

* Randall *
Night Vision Goggles A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD) or night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The ...
*
Gas mask A gas mask is a piece of personal protective equipment used to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft ...
*
Pepper spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, mace, or capsicum spray is a Tear gas, lachrymator (tear gas) product containing as its active ingredient the chemical compound capsaicin, which irritates the eyes with burning ...
* Flash-bangs


Vehicles


Helicopters

*
Mil Mi-8 The Mil Mi-8 (, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union, Soviet Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute, Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) in the 1960s and introduced into the ...
*
MBB Bo 105 The Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Bo 105 is a light, twin-engine, multi-purpose helicopter developed by Bölkow of Ottobrunn, West Germany. It was the first light twin-engine helicopter in the world, and the first rotorcraft that could perform ...
E-4 * AS 350


Cars

*
Iveco Iveco S.p.A., an acronym for Industrial Vehicles Corporation, is an Italian multinational transport vehicle manufacturing company with headquarters in Turin, Italy. It designs and builds light, medium, and heavy Commercial vehicle, commercial veh ...
*
Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group traces its origins to the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company that existed from 1870 to 194 ...
*
SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definition ...
*
Hummer Hummer (stylized in all caps) is an American brand of Pickup truck, pickups launched in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. Although discontinued in 2010, Hummer returned as a model under GMC (automob ...
*
Hummer H1 The Hummer H1 is a full-size four-wheel-drive utility vehicle based on the M998 Humvee, which was developed by AM General when it was a subsidiary of American Motors Corporation (AMC). Originally designed strictly for military use, the off-r ...
*
Otokar Akrep Akrep ("Scorpion") is a Turkish infantry mobility vehicle family developed by Otokar, Otokar Otobus Karoseri Sanayi AS. The first prototypes were completed in May 1993 and the first vehicles came off the production line in June 1994. In additio ...


Trivia

The force has a mascot, a little three-legged dog called Triçikle (English: tricycle), who is considered to bring great fortune to the unit.


See also

*
Albanian Police The Albanian State Police () is the national police and largest law enforcement agency which operates throughout the Albania, Republic of Albania, ensuring the safety of citizens, keeping the public order, and serving the people anytime anywhere ...
* EURALIUS, European Assistance Mission to the Albanian Justice System


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Renea Law enforcement in Albania Non-military counterterrorist organizations Special forces of Albania