The Special Prosecution Office, in cooperation with Swiss authorities, has cracked down on a structured criminal network that dealt with drug trafficking, money laundering and the creation of an informal system for transferring millions of euros gained from illegal activities from Switzerland to Albania.
According to SPAK, the three people under investigation, with the initials EF, BF and PK, in collaboration with other residents of Lucerne, Switzerland, have organized and operated an informal money transfer system, known as "Hawala", for years.
This scheme has been operating since 2020 and has been used to transfer millions of euros from Switzerland to Albania, proceeds from illegal drug trafficking and sales activity in Swiss territory and beyond.
According to the scheme used, people interested in transferring money with criminal origins would hand it over to the group's associates in Switzerland. The latter would immediately notify the person under investigation, EF, in Tirana, who would then arrange for the transfer of the relevant amount to the recipient in Albania. This method avoided any official trace and made it impossible for the authorities to identify the source of the money and its beneficiaries.
To camouflage the criminal activity, the suspects used currency exchange offices, money transfer agencies and travel agencies as fronts. These entities were used to deposit the money in Switzerland and distribute the corresponding amount in Albania. The criminal group's profit from each transfer is estimated to have been 6% of the amount, divided equally between the network leader in Albania and the associates in Switzerland.
In addition to money laundering activities, the individuals under investigation are suspected of organizing and distributing narcotics in several Swiss cantons. They used third parties to distribute smaller quantities of drugs and ensured continuous supply routes.
At the request of SPAK, the GJKKO has set the security measure "arrest in prison" for the three suspects:
· EF – suspected leader of the network, currently arrested in Switzerland;
· BF and PK – both were arrested in Tirana on 19.07.2025.
All three are charged with the criminal offenses: "Production and sale of narcotics", "Laundering of proceeds of crime", "Structured criminal group" and "Commitment of offenses by a structured criminal group".
The investigations have not yet been closed, as the Prosecution is working to identify other persons involved, fully assess the monetary amounts transferred, and seize assets obtained from criminal activity. (A2 Televizion)
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