Brothers Shkëlqim and Gerardo Pashja, from Elbasan, are the leaders of an Albanian criminal organization that trafficked cocaine from South America to Europe. This is what SPAK says in an official statement regarding the operation carried out on Tuesday in our country and in Italy.
"Under the coordination of the Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime and the Brescia Prosecutor's Office, in the early hours of the morning of 21.01.2025, the ICARO operation was finalized in Albania and Italy, with the execution of 12 "prison arrest" security measures and 8 "interrogation of persons under investigation" measures. The persons against whom the security measures were executed were part of a criminal organization of illegal trafficking of narcotics, mainly cocaine from South America," SPAK said.
"Officers of the General Directorate of the Albanian Police and the Italian Police, under the coordination of the Anti-Mafia Directorate of the Brescia Prosecutor's Office and SPAK, carried out numerous checks in Albania as well as in the provinces of Brescia, Milan, Turin, Verona, Bolzano, Cremona, Novara, Pavia, Trento and Treviso where the execution of security measures was made possible. On 21.01.2025, in Albania, the following Albanian citizens were arrested for extradition: Sh.P., ID, ED, E.Zh., GB. While the arrest of MM was not possible, as he is wanted."
ALBANIANS ARRESTED
Igli Dervishi, 30 years old, resident of Elbasan
Shkëlqim Pashja, 44 years old, resident of Elbasan
Ervin Dema, 40 years old, resident of Elbasan
Edmond Zhuja, 41 years old, resident of Shkodra
Genti Berisha, 28 years old, resident of Tirana
Gerardo alias Astrit Pashja, 48 years old
How did the investigations start?
The investigations began in the second half of 2020, after the distribution of cocaine was recorded in several bars in the Lago di Garda area in Italy, and were carried out under the auspices of EUROJUST, within the framework of a joint investigative team between the Brescia Prosecutor's Office and SPAK. The investigation involved about 40 Italian and Albanian citizens.
After identifying the cocaine suppliers, based on the investigations, the organizational chart of an Italian-Albanian criminal organization that dealt with the import of quantities of narcotics from South America has been reconstructed. At the head of this criminal organization are two Albanian brothers from Elbasan, GP, and Sh.P. They gave instructions to a trusted group in the Brescia area and other provinces of Northern Italy, where they carried out an extensive activity of importing and selling narcotics, mainly cocaine. This organization has enabled all phases of trafficking, from storage, distribution and collection of profits, which were then delivered to the organization's leaders in Albania, through a proven system, using bus drivers on the Brescia - Elbasan line.
In November 2021, the arrest of one of the persons under investigation was carried out, who would send a quantity of 350 kg of cocaine to the organization, which carried out its activity in the Brescia area.
Members of the criminal organization have used "encrypted" phones, the analysis of which has also resulted in their involvement within this Albanian criminal organization dedicated to the international trafficking of hundreds of kilograms of narcotics, mainly cocaine. Investigations have confirmed the fact that the leaders of this organization, in order to carry out agreements with suppliers, have systematically traveled to Colombia, Ecuador and the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, where some of the Albanian traffickers are located. (A2 Televizion)
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