The Special Prosecution Office has reacted regarding the ongoing operation "Pietari", carried out in cooperation with the Finnish authorities.
Within the framework of the operation in question, 9 out of 11 arrest warrants issued by SPAK were executed. It is also known that within the framework of this operation, around 110 State Police officers were deployed, while the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime, the Directorate of the Special Operational Force, the National Security Force, as well as the Police structures in the districts of Tirana, Berat, Vlora and Gjirokastër were involved in the action.
Of the 11 security measures issued, in cooperation with the BKH, 9 of them have been executed, while work continues to locate and arrest another citizen within Albanian territory.
During the operation, 8 vehicles, mobile phones and many documents of value for the investigation, mainly in Finnish, were also seized, which are considered important evidence that will serve to continue further criminal investigations and the property investigation.
As part of this operation, 4 criminal groups with Albanian leaders from Vlora, Berat and Kuçova were targeted, who were collaborating in drug trafficking, mainly synthetic drugs.
In Finland, 55 people, members of this group, have been convicted, 10 of them Albanians, the rest Finnish, Polish, Romanian, Asian and African. The groups targeted by SPAK and the authorities in Helsinki have been seized from around 300 kg of drugs, divided into 170 kg of amphetamine, 10 kg of cocaine and 100 kg of cannabis.
SPAK announcement:
SPAK and Finnish authorities crack down on international narcotics and synthetic drug trafficking network. Security measures for 11 Albanian citizens
The Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, in cooperation with the Finnish authorities, is continuing the investigations within the framework of criminal proceedings no. 147, registered on 29.06.2023, for the criminal offenses of "Production and sale of narcotics", committed in the special form of cooperation of a structured criminal group, provided for by Articles 283 and 28/4 of the Criminal Code; "Structured criminal group", provided for by Article 333/ai of the Criminal Code; as well as "Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group", provided for by point 1 of Article 334 of the Criminal Code.
The criminal proceedings were registered following a request for cooperation, which was submitted on 21.06.2023 by the Finnish Police Crime Center and the Lounais-Suomi police, in connection with investigations conducted into the trafficking and distribution of dangerous narcotics in Finland, by structured criminal groups, consisting of Albanian citizens, in close cooperation with other Finnish, European and Asian citizens.
On 21.11.2023, within the framework of joint investigations, the Joint Investigation Team was established between the Special Prosecutor's Office and the Central Criminal Police of Finland, the Department at the Southwestern Finland Police Institution and the Department at the Helsinki Police Institution.
After the establishment of the Joint Investigation Team, during 18 months of intensive investigations, special investigative methods were used such as; interception of telephone communications or secret photographic, film or video recordings in public places, as well as real-time exchange of information and evidence with the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation.
From the tests administered, it results that:
During 2022 and onwards, 4 structured criminal groups have been identified, consisting of Albanian and foreign citizens. These groups, created, organized and led by Albanian citizens, were able to traffic in the territory of the Republic of Finland, significant quantities of highly dangerous narcotic substances or substances, including; cocaine, amphetamine, cannabis, ecstasy and other psychotropic substances. The drugs were trafficked and transported from the Netherlands and Spain and then delivered, traded, and distributed in several cities in Finland, using a well-organized network of distributors of the narcotic substance/substances, in order to secure illegal income.
A characteristic of these structured criminal groups has been cooperation between them to achieve criminal goals or, in some cases, some members of structured criminal groups also acted on behalf of other groups. Some members of these structured criminal groups have been arrested and convicted by the courts of first instance in Finland for this criminal activity.
The most important episodes documented during 2022-2024 include:
Trafficking and then selling around 400 kg of amphetamine, over 500 kg of cannabis, and a significant amount of cocaine.
The mass distribution of ecstasy tablets and other banned substances in Helsinki and other cities.
Security measures and arrests:
At the request of the Special Prosecution Office, the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime, with decision no. 52, dated 02.06.2025, has imposed the security measure "Arrest in prison", provided for by Article 238 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, against 11 Albanian citizens.
On 03.06.2025, the National Bureau of Investigation Investigators and the structures of the General Directorate of the State Police made it possible to implement the security measure for 9 people under investigation.
BS, (27.01.1985)
EA (alias ET 07.02.1991)
AM (07.06.1981)
CC (14.04.1981;
TK (alias TT 15.10.1977)
GS (05.07.1994;
EM, (29.05.1983)
LH, (09.01.1983)
DL, (07.06.1983)
During the execution of security measures, numerous searches were carried out in homes and business premises, and the following material evidence was seized:
8 vehicles
13 mobile phones
Various written evidence
Officers from the National Bureau of Investigation in Finland, the Helsinki and Turku police, Finland, also participated in the implementation of security measures and the conduct of checks. The Nordic Liaison Officer's Office for Albania and Kosovo provided special assistance in the investigation of this criminal proceeding, building bridges between SPAK and the Finnish investigative and police authorities.
The investigation within the framework of the Joint Investigation Team is supported by the “@ON Network” funded by the European Commission, led by the Italian Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate (DIA). (A2 Televizion)
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