Sokol Bode, the former police chief of Dhërmi appeared this Saturday morning (August 13) before the Special Court to communicate the security measure "prison arrest" as well as the sentence given to him in absentia by the First Instance Court. 

After giving the generalities before the special judge Atalanta Zeqiri, the latter has decided that the former head of Dhërmi is left under the security measure "prison arrest". 

He was detained in Berat on the evening of August 11 and then transported to Tirana, as he was wanted since 2017 after suspected of being a collaborator with the Habilaj group, arrested in Italy for trafficking large amounts of marijuana. 

Bode was sentenced to 8 years in prison, as he is accused by the Special Prosecution against Organized Crime and Corruption (SPAK) of involvement in the narcotics traffic carried out by the criminal organization led by the brothers Moisi and Florian Habilaj. 

However, Bode was detained on Thursday evening in a village in Berat, after having allegedly lived for 5 years on the run and having returned only a few days ago to Albania. 

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO), for the charges of "Cultivation of narcotic plants", "Structured criminal group" and "Trafficking in narcotics". 

Bode is suspected of facilitating the traffic activity run by the Habilaj brothers, with whom he had a relationship and has even appeared in photos with them. 

He is one of the three police directors who operated in Vlora, and who were accused of having links with Habilaj gang, together with the former director of the Vlora Police Jaeld Çela, and the former head of the Department of War Against Organized Crime in the District Vlora Directorate, Gjergji Kohila. 

Çela, convicted in absentia, surrendered in May 2020, although he has not admitted to the charges of drug trafficking and connection with the Habilaj gang. In February 2022, the Court of Appeal against Corruption and Organized Crime sentenced him to 3 years and 4 months in prison for abuse of office. 

Initially on the run, Kohila surrendered in December 2021 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.