There are five police officers and one prosecutor among those arrested in an international operation against a criminal group suspected of corruption, abuse of office, money laundering and international trafficking of significant quantities of narcotics. 

It is about a prosecutor of Vlora Prosecutor's Office, whose identity is not revealed yet. Court decided house arrest for him. The operation is taking place in several countries, including Albania, such as Montenegro, Spain and Italy. 

It is also learned that some assets have been seized. It is suspected that a group that trafficked drugs and laundered money was targeted, while state officials who abused their duties and committed corruption were also handcuffed. 

"The Albanian authorities and the Antimafia Directorate of Bari, with the assistance of the Joint Forces Liaison Office of Tirana and the General Directorate of the Albanian Police, other law enforcement agencies, within a Joint Investigation Team, are executing in Albania and in Italy, by decision of the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime in Tirana and the DDA of Bari - with the coordination of Eurojust (Hage) - led by the national member of the Italian side, the decision to impose security measures issued by the Judge of the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime, by which he ordered the arrest of 38 (out of these 10 persons executed previously) persons suspected of corruption, abuse of office, money laundering and international trafficking of significant quantities of narcotics. Decisions on the seizure of assets suspected of deriving from criminal activity or other illegal income, worth several million euros, are also being implemented", local media announced. 

During the investigations carried out in Albania of the operation "SHEFI" and "KULMI", carried out by DIA of Bari in 2018 and in 2020, helped also by the statements of four justice collaborators, in addition to the phenomena of corruption, abuse of office and money laundering, as well as the entire “production chain” of narcotics from cultivation, production, collection, storage and then trafficking to the Pugliese shores through powerful sea vehicles.

More detailed data on the operation will be given during the press conference that will take place today in Tirana at 10:30, where dr. Cafiero DE RAHO, National Prosecutor of Anti-mafia and Anti-terrorism; Arben Kraja, Head of the Special Prosecution Against Corruption of Organized Crime; dr. Filippo SPIEZIA - Vice President and member for the Italian side in Eurojust; dr. Roberto ROSSI - Chief Prosecutor of the Republic in Bari; Mr. Maurizio VALLONE, General Director of DIA; and Ardi Veliu General Director of the Albanian Police.