Major Drug Trafficking Network Led by Albanian Brothers Dismantled in Joint Albania-Italy Operation

Authorities in Albania and Italy have successfully dismantled a major drug trafficking network allegedly led by two Albanian brothers. The gang, believed to have orchestrated large-scale drug shipments from South America to multiple EU countries, is accused of utilizing an elaborate money-laundering system to clean their illegal earnings.

In a coordinated operation, a total of 29 suspects were apprehended, with 27 arrests in Italy and two in Albania. The investigation saw close cooperation between law enforcement agencies in Albania and Italy, with crucial support from Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency. Europol’s financial crime experts played a vital role in tracking down the gang members involved in laundering the network’s illicit profits.

On November 5, law enforcement officers conducted a series of raids across Albania, Italy, France, Spain, and Romania, seizing various assets connected to the drug trafficking network. The gang is reported to have specialized in the wholesale distribution of drugs, particularly cocaine, which they concealed within shipments of exotic fruits transported from South America to European ports.

Upon arrival in Europe, teams affiliated with the network would retrieve the concealed drugs from the shipments and distribute them to other criminal groups across the continent. Authorities estimate that the value of drugs seized during this operation is approximately €70 million.

Since the investigation launched in November 2021, law enforcement officials have seized over 2,000 kilograms of cocaine, along with 20 kilograms of marijuana and 46 kilograms of hashish. Several members of the network were apprehended while actively engaged in criminal activities over the course of the investigation.

By fLEXI tEAM