Gjergji Kohila, the former head of the Sector of the Fight Against Organized Crime in the Vlora District Directorate, has submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court, requesting the dismissal of the sentence of 8 years in prison.

This request of Kohilaj comes after he had earlier tried to claim innocence in the Special Court of Appeal, which in December 2022 upheld the decision of the First Instance.

Gjergji Kohila surrendered at the premises of the Tirana Police in December 2021, just a few days after the Special Court sentenced him to 12 years in prison in absentia, which, due to the shortened trial, was reduced to 8 years in prison.

Kohila was wanted since 2017 on charges of drug trafficking and organized crime.

SPAK accused Kohila of being involved in the traffic of over 3 tons of cannabis from Albania to Italy, within the Habilaj group.

Part of the "Habilaj" file was also the former officer Sokol Bode, as well as the former director of the Vlora Police, Jaeld Çela.

The prosecution mentions in the file that in order to carry out the criminal activity, the two brothers, Moisi and Florian Habilaj, found the support of the former head of the Dhërmi Border Police Station, Sokol Bode, who held this position from December 2013 to May of 2016.

It is suspected that former official Bode ensured the free development of the activity to the group by avoiding police checks, it is further stated. In this criminal activity, Police Chief Bode, in addition to his involvement with the traffickers of the group, has also collaborated with two other former Police officials, Director Jaeld Çela and Chief Against Drugs and Trafficking, Gjergji Kohila.