Albanian criminal groups no longer have a safe haven in the United Arab Emirates. The rejection a few days ago of the request for release in all three levels of the trial of Florenc Çapje shows that the moment they board the plane to be repatriated, these wanted people no longer have any chance of being released quickly in Albania. In recent months, 11 people wanted by Albanian justice have been deported from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to our country. Although Albania does not have a genuine cooperation agreement, this myth was broken by Interpol, and the Emirates are using a special law on reciprocity relations between states, similar to extraditions.
"11 well-known names of the criminal world brought to our country from the United Arab Emirates have landed from this airport. The first to touch Albanian soil was Bruno Çoba, on March 13 of last year, accused by Spak of stock market fraud. A few months later, the two most wanted were handed over to Albanian justice, Plaurent Dervishaj and Juljan Meçaj, declared wanted for the assassination of former prosecutor Arjan Ndoja, but also for other criminal events," reports A2 CNN journalist Xhensila Kodra.
After them was Arjan Malko, who turned out to be wanted in Italy for drug trafficking. Meanwhile, on May 2 of this year, Florenc Çapja was brought from Dubai to Tirana, who had been on the run for 10 years and was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Nezir and Gentian Beqiri, father and son, an event that occurred in 2012 in Elbasan, but was also accused of ordering several criminal events. In June, the list of extradited persons was followed by Dashnor Dumani, brother of the repentant justice Nuredin Dumani. He, like his brother, is also under indictment for murder and criminal group, as part of the "Golden Bullet" file. Together with Dumani, Armes Stafa, who was declared wanted as a member of the Çopja group of Elbasan, was brought to our country.
Then the wanted persons who touched Albanian soil were Ervis Daka, Maksim Koçi and Ado Xhika, accused of being members of the criminal organizations of Suel Çela or Çopjave in Elbasan, or even persons accused of having supported the much-wanted Talo Çela.
While the last to arrive in Albania from Dubai was Denis Bajri, charged by SPAK with murder and criminal group.
"All the people brought from the United Arab Emirates, in our country are wanted by the orders of the Special Prosecution for serious criminal offenses, such as murder, drugs and weapons, as well as members of criminal groups, mainly in Elbasan, Shkodra and beyond. One of them, Plaurent Dervishaj, in the courtroom, while the security measure at the Special Court was being communicated to him, raised serious accusations as he claimed that he was not extradited or deported from Dubai, but that he was kidnapped by the police. While others have claimed that coming from Dubai was of their own free will."
The names of those deported from Dubai and Abu Dhabi are most frequently searched for in the "Metamorphosis", "Revenge" and "Golden Bullet" files.
"After arriving in Albanian territory, those considered crime bosses are handed over to the Directorate of Prisons to be isolated in detention facilities. And after they are informed of the security measures, they are escorted back to their prison cells. In the most famous 313, Plaurent Dervishaj, Juljan Meçaj and Dashnor Dumani are currently held."
That Dubai would no longer be a safe haven for many wanted people, not only in Albania but also beyond, was warned in January on A2CNN by former Minister of Justice Eduart Halimi.
And this is already evident, as some of the most wanted have been surrendered to Albanian justice, and others are awaiting their return to our country. But in the absence of an extradition agreement with Dubai, what is the mechanism that made it possible for them to face Albanian justice? The institutions have avoided a concrete explanation, but as an expert in the field, Halimi gave us another explanation that breaks down into 4 pillars.
It starts with some developments in the field of jurisdictional relations with abroad, based on a series of meetings that the interior ministers held during 2024, based on the United Arab Emirates law on reciprocity for persons accused of murder and weapons. The establishment of a special Interpol office, focused on the data obtained after the dismantling of the SkyECC application, but also on other platforms, is also essential. The office that started with 3 people today has at least 12. Meanwhile, since April, the Emirates have chaired the Governance Committee at Interpol! Dubai, for cases of Red Alerts, from Interpol gives priority to simplified mechanisms for sending persons to the country of origin when there are accusations of murder and possession of weapons!
"The United Arab Emirates does not have extradition agreements with Germany, Belgium, France, Uzbekistan and many other countries, and neither does Albania. And it is unlikely that they will have such an agreement anytime soon. The United Arab Emirates uses a special law on reciprocity relations between states. They recently used this against Uzbekistan. The Emirates are using special instruments similar to extradition, just as has happened so far with the arrival in our country of those considered Albanian crime bosses," reports A2 CNN journalist Jensila Kodra.
DEPORTED FROM DUBAI
Bruno Çoba
Plaurent Dervishaj
Julian Mecaj
Arjan Malko
Florence Capa
Lover Dumani
Armis Staff
Ervis Dhaka
Maxim Koci
Ado Xhika
Denis Bajri
REASONS FOR DEPORTATIONS FROM DUBAI
1. There are a series of meetings during 2024 between interior ministries based on the UAE law on reciprocity for persons accused of murder and weapons!
2. There is a special Interpol office that was set up last year with a focus on data coming out of SkyECC and Operation Vanilla and other platforms. This office has gone from 3 to 10-12 people there!
3. On April 11, 2025, the UAE – represented by the Ministry of Interior – was elected as the chair of the Governance Committee at Interpol!
4. Dubai prioritizes simplified mechanisms for sending people to the country of origin for Interpol Red Notice cases when there are charges of murder and possession of weapons! (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
