New details have come to light regarding the Saturday operation that resulted in the arrest of three police officers. In an official statement, the Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime stated that the officers had been involved in the cultivation and trafficking of cannabis for some time.
According to SPAK's announcement, the police officers were connected to the traffickers and covered them in drug cultivation in the Saranda area, providing ongoing advice and information on the proper functioning of criminal activity related to the cultivation of narcotic plants, as well as providing other members of the structured criminal group with security in this illegal activity.
The cannabis was then trafficked to Greece, and there they also had the assistance of agents for the smooth passage of the cannabis, which was then passed on to be sold in Greek territory.
"The investigation has managed to document the case of trafficking to Greece, on 07.03.2020, through the border crossing point, "Qafë Botë", of a quantity of 1144.9 kg of unprocessed cannabis sativa, 4.068 kg of processed cannabis (chocolate) and 0.916 kg of processed cannabis (oil), worth approximately 1.7 million euros, an amount that was seized from two Italian citizens convicted in Greece," SPAK reports.
SPAK announcement
The Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime registered on 23.09.2022, criminal proceedings no. 169 of 2022, and is currently continuing preliminary investigations into the criminal offenses; “Forgery of documents”, “Exercising illegal influence over persons exercising public functions”, “Abuse of office”, “Unauthorized possession and production of weapons, explosive weapons and ammunition”, “Trafficking in narcotics”, committed in the special form of cooperation of the structured criminal group, “Cultivation of narcotic plants”, committed in the special form of cooperation of the structured criminal group, “Laundering of the proceeds of a criminal offense or criminal activity” committed in the special form of cooperation of the structured criminal group, “Structured Criminal Group”, as well as “Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group”, provided for in Articles 186, 245/1, 248, 283/ae 28/4, 284 and 28/4, 287 and 28/4, 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code.
Within the framework of this criminal proceeding, the Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime, in close cooperation with Eurojust, Europol and French and Greek law enforcement agencies, has conducted investigations regarding several Albanian citizens involved in criminal activities in Albania and Greece.
During intensive investigations conducted by investigators of the National Bureau of Investigation (BKH), under the direction of special prosecutors, it has been possible to document the criminal activity of the suspects as well as identify some of the perpetrators of the criminal events and criminal offenses, some of which were committed in collaboration, in the form of the following structured criminal group:
During the years 2019-2021, it is evident that a structured criminal group operated in Saranda, which dealt with the cultivation and trafficking of plants and narcotic substances, while its creator, leader and organizer are suspected to be the citizens under investigation; KQ (alias JH, alias JQ) and EA (alias KA).
The investigation reveals that during the years 2019-2021, members of this structured criminal group had certain tasks with the aim of cultivating narcotic plants, cannabis sativa in the Saranda area and its surroundings, planting it in certain areas and cultivating it in closed environments.
In cooperation between themselves, members of this structured criminal group have secured the narcotic plant, while certain members, the persons who would carry out the transport of the narcotic substance from Albania to Greece. What is noticeable is that in cases when members of this group were arrested by law enforcement agencies, other members were interested in guaranteeing economic assistance to the arrested persons as well as providing protection in judicial processes.
In addition to the creators, leaders and organizers who are suspected to be the citizens under investigation; KQ (alias JH, alias JQ) and EA (alias KA), other members of this structured criminal group that trafficked narcotics from Albania to Greece are suspected to be:
Italian citizens LB and DC, who have been convicted in the Republic of Greece for this illegal activity, as well as the citizen under investigation BT
State police employees ED and EH, who, taking advantage of their then position as state police employees, appear to have assisted the leaders of the structured criminal group, with advice and continuous information for the proper functioning of criminal activity related to drug trafficking, as well as by providing other members of the structured criminal group with security in this illegal activity.
Several other Albanian citizens, unidentified so far by the investigation.
The investigation has managed to document the case of trafficking to Greece, on 07.03.2020, through the border crossing point, "Qafë Botë", of a quantity of 1144.9 kg of unprocessed cannabis sativa, 4.068 kg of processed cannabis (chocolate) and 0.916 kg of processed cannabis (oil), worth approximately 1.7 million euros, an amount that was seized from two Italian citizens convicted in Greece.
In addition to the creators, leaders and organizers who are suspected to be the citizens under investigation KQ (alias JH, alias JQ) and EA (alias KA), other members of this structured criminal group related to the cultivation of narcotic plants are suspected to have been:
Citizens under investigation XH.N and SH.K;
State police employees EA and EH, who, taking advantage of their then position as state police employees, appear to have assisted the leaders of the structured criminal group with advice and continuous information for the proper functioning of criminal activity related to the cultivation of narcotic plants, as well as providing other members of the structured criminal group with security in this illegal activity.
Several other Albanian citizens still unidentified by the investigation.
The investigation has revealed the fact of laundering the proceeds of crime or criminal activity, from suspected income from the trafficking of narcotics and the cultivation of narcotic plants by the persons under investigation KQ (alias JH, alias JQ), EA (alias KA) and SH.K, who, both during the period of criminal activity in the trafficking and cultivation of narcotics, and after this period, have invested in real estate and movable property, with the sole purpose of laundering the proceeds of crime.
The investigations have revealed the fact that during the years 2019-2021, a structured criminal group operated in the Tepelenë-Gjirokastër area, intended for the cultivation of narcotic plants, where the creator, leader and organizer of this structured criminal group is suspected to be the citizen under investigation LB (alias ES), while other members of this group are suspected to have been:
The state police employee SH.R., who, using his then position as a state police employee, appears to have assisted the leaders of the structured criminal group by providing advice and continuous information for the proper functioning of the criminal activity related to the cultivation of narcotic plants, as well as by providing other members of the structured criminal group with security in this illegal activity.
Several other Albanian citizens, so far unidentified by the investigation, who, under the direction of the creator, organizer and leader of the structured criminal group, LB (alias ES), were directly involved in the cultivation of narcotic plants.
The investigation has documented the fact that on 01.10.2020, the judicial police services of the Gjirokastra Local Police Directorate, on the road between the village of Dukaj and the village of Salari, Tepelena, (at a distance of about 1000 meters from the village of Dukaj to the village of Salari), in a closed white "Iveco" van, narcotic cannabis sativa plants in the form of plants, with stems, branches, leaves and buds, in a wet state, with a total weight of 1280 (one thousand two hundred and eighty) kilograms and consisting of 1360 (one thousand three hundred and sixty) plants with a length of 30 - 120 cm were found and seized.
From the investigative actions within the framework of criminal proceedings no. 169 of 2022 registered with the Special Prosecutor's Office, it has resulted that the narcotic plants were cultivated by the structured criminal group led by LB (alias ES).
It has been established that on 17.09.2020 in the city of Saranda, the citizen under investigation XH.N. was driving a car in his use, carrying a 9.5 mm caliber revolver firearm in the vehicle without the permission of the competent state bodies, as well as 17 9.5 mm caliber cartridges, inserted in a box.
It has been established that the person under investigation EA (alias KA) has exerted illegal influence on the police officer, the person under investigation EA, and following the latter's advice, it was achieved that another minor citizen took over the unauthorized possession of the firearm in the vehicle, who was then arrested by judicial police officers, while in reality the minor citizen was driving the above-mentioned vehicle, where the weapon was located, without a driving license, a vehicle that had been given to him by the citizen under investigation XH.N. a few moments earlier.
Also, preliminary investigations show that during the period of 2019-2021, the citizens under investigation EH, EA, ED and SH.R, police officers, with their unlawful actions committed intentionally, have committed the criminal offense of "Abuse of duty", provided for by Article 248 of the Criminal Code, by intentionally committing/or failing to commit in a continuous manner actions or omissions that constitute a failure to properly fulfill their duty as state police officers, have caused considerable damage to the legitimate interests of the state, by undermining the provision of regular legal activity of state police officers, as well as undermining the credibility of the state police before the public in relation to its mission to maintain public order and security, guarantee the implementation of the law, in accordance with the Constitution and international acts, as defined in Law No. 108/2014 dated 31.07.2014 "On State Police” as amended, as well as in the by-laws “Regulations of the State Police”.
Based on the request of the Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime, with decision no. 17, dated 28.02.2025, has decided to impose personal security measures “prison arrest” for 10 citizens suspected of committing criminal offenses, specifically for citizens KQ (alias JH, alias JQ), EA (alias KA), BT, SH.K, XH.B, LB (alias ES), EH, ED, SH.R and EA
On 01.03.2025, the Police Supervision Agency and the National Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of the Special Prosecutor's Office, executed orders for the execution of criminal decision no. 17, dated 28.02.2025, of the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime, for the following citizens:
-EH, who at the time of the commission of the criminal offenses was, among other things, a police officer in the Directorate of the Operational Force at the General Directorate of the State, and was dismissed from the State Police in 2022.
-SH.R, who at the time of the commission of the criminal offenses was on duty at the Sector for the Fight against Narcotics and Illicit Trafficking at the Gjirokastër Local Police Directorate, while at the time of the implementation of the security measure "arrest in prison" he was the Head of the Crime Investigation Section at the Himara Police Station.
-EA, who at the time of the commission of the criminal offenses was the Head of the Crime Investigation Section at the Saranda Police Station, while at the time of the implementation of the security measure "arrest in prison" he was the Head of the Crime Investigation Section at the Lushnje Police Station.
Police officer ED has been declared wanted, who at the time of committing the criminal offenses was the Head of the Qafë Botë Border Crossing Point, Saranda, while he was currently the Head of the Saranda Border Police Commissariat.
Also, the General Directorate of the State Police, in cooperation with the investigators of the National Bureau of Investigation, carried out possible procedural and operational actions to locate other citizens against whom the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime, with decision no. 17, dated 28.02.2025, decided to impose personal security measures of "prison arrest" and the implementation of security measures, but it turned out that a considerable number were outside the territory of the Republic of Albania.
During the execution of the court decisions, a search was conducted, where various items such as telephones, weapons, etc. were found and seized as material evidence, and searches are continuing in other apartments and premises.
We thank the General Directorate of the State Police, the Police Supervision Agency and the National Bureau of Investigation for the professionalism shown and the close cooperation during the execution phase of the court decisions.
Special thanks to Eurojust, Europol, the French and Greek Judicial Authorities for the intensive cooperation and contribution provided within the framework of the investigations of this criminal proceeding.
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