Law enforcement authorities in Albania and Italy have taken down a drug trafficking criminal network led by two Albanian brothers. The perpetrators are believed to be responsible for organising drug shipments from South America to several EU Member States. Europol supported this operation, which culminated in an action day that saw the arrest of 29 suspects (27 in Italy, 2 in Albania). Investigators from Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption and Anti-Organised Crime Structure, as well as Italy’s Guardia di Finanza in Pisa and the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Florence, were supported by Europol’s money laundering experts to close in on the criminals. On 5 November 2024, law enforcement officers raided locations in Albania, Italy, France, Spain, and Romania, seizing various criminal assets.

The criminal network was active in the wholesale distribution of drugs in the EU. The illicit drugs were hidden in containers with exotic fruits on vessels arriving in European ports from South America. On arrival, recovery teams would remove the drugs from the containers and sell them to other criminal networks. The value of the drugs seized during the operation is estimated at EUR 70 million.

Since the start of the investigation in November 2021 and leading up to the action day, some members had been arrested while actively committing crimes. During the same timeframe, over 2 000 kg of cocaine, 20 kg of marijuana, and 46 kg of hashish have been seized. Drug shipments would come from South America to the EU, where the criminal network’s local cells would collect and distribute them. To launder the illicit proceeds, the criminals had set up an elaborate money laundering system.

Europol’s crucial contribution

Europol’s money laundering experts supported this international investigation since day one. Cross-referencing the data provided by the national investigators, a case specialist and an analyst found a link between ongoing investigations, thus completing the intelligence picture. This allowed for an operational meeting to be launched, which resulted in the action day conducted on 5 November 2024. Apart from deploying a money laundering specialist to the coordination centre established by Eurojust, Europol also provided financial support for two Italian investigators travelling to Albania for the action day.

Participating authorities:

• Albania:
  • Albanian State Police - Policia e Shtetit Shqiptar
  • Special Anti-Corruption and Anti-Organised Crime Structure (Struktura e Posaçme Kundër Korrupsionit dhe Krimit të Organizuar)
• Italy:
  • Guardia di Finanza Pisa
  • Guardia di Finanza Central Service against organised crime (Servizio centrale di investigazione sulla criminalità organizzata)
  • Guardia di Finanza Naval Station Livorno (Reparto Operativo Aeronavale - Sezione Operativa Navale Livorno)
  • Public Prosecutor’s Office Florence (Avvocato distrettuale dello Stato di Firenze)
  • Italian Central Directorate for Anti-Drug Services (Direzione Centrale per i Servizi Antidroga)
  • Italian Embassy in Tirana (Ambasciata d'Italia Tirana)
  • Central Service for International Police Cooperation (Servizio per la Cooperazione Internazionale di Polizia)
• France:
  • Lyon Judicial Police – OFAST Lyon (Police judiciaire de Lyon – Office anti-stupéfiants Lyon)
  • Judicial Court of Lyon – JIRS Lyon (Tribunal Judiciaire de Lyon – JIRS Juridiction inter-régionale spécialisée de Lyon)
• Spain:
  • Public Prosecutor Specialised Unit in International Cooperation of Tarragona (Fiscalía Unidad Especializada en Cooperación Internacional de Tarragona)
  • Investigative Court no. 6 of Tarragona (Juzgado de Instrucción núm. 6 de Tarragona)
• Romania:
  • Directorate for Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism – Covasna Local Bureau; Covasna Organised Crime Fighting Police Service (Directia de Investigare a Criminalitatii Organizate si Terorism - Biroul Local Covasna, Serviciul de Combatere a Criminalitatii Organizate)