The State Department purchased two Mitsubishi pick-ups for $50,000 to be used by the border police in Albania.
The U.S. government has already bought six L200 Double Cab Mitsubishis for the Albanian Border Police (ABP), and said the two additional vehicles will "fulfill the ABP’s needs."
"The vehicles will be provided to the Albanian Border Police (ABP) under a U.S. Government funded nonproliferation assistance program," the contract said. "The ABP will deploy the vehicles to the Regional Border Police Directorates in Albania for patrolling, monitoring and controlling its land borders, and to interdict illicit trafficking across those borders."
The two new Mitsubishis will be black, seat five, and have a 4-cylinder turbo-diesel engine. They will also have a 6-speed manual transmission, 16-inch steel rims, and "standard upholstery." The cost is $50,284. All eight vehicles have cost the United States approximately $201,136.
The State Department gave specific instructions for the canopies on the back of the trucks. The minimum specifications included "reinforced glass fibre, and in black colour same like the pickup," and "smoke coloured" side and rear windows.
The police will use the trucks to secure the border of the Southeastern European country, which abuts Greece and Macedonia.
"The ABP is the designated law enforcement agency responsible for controlling all Albania’s land borders between fixed border crossings for the purposes of interdicting illicit trafficking in contraband and people," the contract said. "The country’s rugged terrain requires 4-wheel drive patrol vehicles that have a superior record of performance and reliability while operating under such harsh conditions."
"The Mitsubishi Double Cab Pick-Up L200 has proven to be the ideal vehicle for the demands of this mission and environment, and thus is the vehicle preferred by the leaders of the ABP," it said.
The website "What Car? Britain’s biggest and best car buyer’s guide," says of the L200: "it is hard to justify this cost for a working vehicle."