TERRORISM: ANCONA PORT CROSSROADS FOR AL QAEDA TRAFFICKING

(AGI) - Ancona, Italy, March 22 - Al Qaeds was still missing from the list of those who exploit Ancona's harbour for illegal trafficking to eastern Europe, but the Spanish police put the last piece of the puzzle during its investigations on the 3/11 attack in Madrid, even discovering that the harbour was, in 1995, the crossroads for Bin Laden's men, who then went to Bosnia to get trained and then reach the cells scattered around Europe. The chief of the local attorney office, Vincenzo Luzi, pointed out he has nothing to say on the investigation, and that he wasn't informed by anyone as regards terrorism. The fact that the Ancona harbour is a problem for the Police also came about in the recent regional conference on security, during which the city prefect, Giulio Maninchedda, stressed the presence of illegal traffic, making it the first Italian harbour with regards to drug and tobacco smuggling, particularly from Albania, whereas it was recently used to get weapons and arms through to the UCK in Kosovo, as well as the trafficking of underage children. Over the part year, the finance police and police have increased patrolling in the harbour, obtaining satisfying results, but considering that thousands of trucks and millions of passengers transit through the port every year, something can escape. "It's a passageway towards countries more at risk - said the prefect - hence it is itself at crime risk". Following the attack in Madrid, the controls of trucks, baggage and passengers has become much stricter". (AGI) .