The Italy-Albania drug trafficking gang is dismantled, headed by 3 "strong" from Durrës, 119 people are arrested and 5 million euros are seized, SPAK gives the details

A total of 119 people have been arrested in total during the anti-drug operations carried out following investigations by SPAK and the Italian authorities. The criminal group supplied drugs to several countries in Europe. Over 120 kilos of imported Dutch cocaine and over 15 kilos of highly pure heroin for further distribution to customers have been seized. Heroin and cocaine were found in two laboratories located in the provinces of Cremona and Milan. Also, 129 kilograms of marijuana and 92 kilograms of hash were seized in the provinces of Mantua and Modena. According to information, the seeds were imported to Italy for cultivation in two greenhouses. The police also seized the total amount of 5,068,340.00 euros. 43 measures were executed in Italy and Albania by the Italian and Albanian Judicial Authorities as a result of judicial police investigations carried out within the framework of the Joint Investigative Group (JIG) signed between the Bergamo Public Prosecutor's Office and the SPAK to crack down on the widespread trafficking of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and hashish in Europe. The investigations are the result of the effective cooperation established between the judicial authorities of Bergamo and Tirana, under the auspices of Eurojust and with the support of Europol, the International Police Cooperation Service, the Office of the Security Expert in Tirana and the project of the European Commission.

SPAK reacts

Meanwhile, the Special Prosecutor's Office has reacted in relation to the operation to dismantle the drug trafficking gang between Italy and Albania, which says that this criminal group was created and directed by three Albanians (BL, GB and EM). "The Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, in cooperation with the judicial police of the State Police Directorate, has conducted investigations regarding the operation "HIGHËAY". The investigations were carried out within the framework of the Joint Investigation Team with the Prosecutor's Office of Bergamo, in Italy, which was supported by Eurojust, Europol, as well as being continuously supported financially by the IPA/2019 Project "The fight against serious crimes in Western Balkans". As a result of the investigative actions carried out in Italy and Albania, it has become possible to discover a criminal group that operated in Italy and Albania, which aimed to trade narcotics such as cocaine, heroin and marijuana. From the investigative actions, it has become possible to prove the trade of an amount of more than 120 kilograms of cocaine, 15 kilograms of very pure heroin, as well as 129 kilograms of marijuana and 92 kilograms of hashish, seized in Italy in several different episodes. The criminal activity of this group has been developed for the time period from 2015 onwards and has been developed in Albania mainly in Durrës, as well as in various cities in Italy, such as Bergamo, Brescia, Milan, Turin, etc., places where the transportation and trade of narcotics was carried out.

18 persona të penduar

SPAK ka bërë me dije se janë rreth 18 persona të tjera në këtë grup kriminal që kanë bashkëpunuar me drejtuesit e grupit dhe me njëri tjetrin.“Ndërsa, si pjesëmarrës në këtë grup kriminal që kanë bashkëpunuar me drejtuesit e grupit dhe me njëri tjetrin, janë identifikuar 18 persona të tjerë shtetas shqiptar, të cilët në vënde dhe në periudha të ndryshme, kanë kryer aktivitetin e tregtimit të lëndëve narkotike. Me kërkesë të Prokurorisë së Posaçme, Gjykata e Posaçme kundër Korrupsionit dhe Krimit të Organizuar me vendimin nr.1, datë 23.01.2023 ka vendosur caktimin e masës së sigurimit “arrest në burg” për 20 persona dhe masën e sigurimit “arrest në shtëpi” për 1 person, të dyshuar për kryerjen e veprave penale “Prodhimi dhe shitja e narkotikëve”, “Grupi i strukturuar kriminal”, “Kryerja e veprave nga grupi i strukturuar kriminal”, të parashikuara nga neni 283, paragrafi (1), si dhe nenet 333/a dhe 334/1 të Kodit Penal. Deri në këtë moment janë ekzekutuar masat e sigurimit për 15 persona dhe vijojnë veprimet për ekzekutimin e masave të sigurimit për personat e tjerë”, njofton SPAK.