The head of Albania’s Special Prosecution against Corruption (SPAK), Klodian Braho, said Thursday that the institution is handling a heavy investigative workload in 2026, with 616 active criminal proceedings registered between January and July.

Speaking during a briefing with journalists, Braho said nearly half of the active cases were launched through proactive investigations initiated by SPAK prosecutors rather than external complaints or referrals, highlighting what he described as the institution’s increased investigative capacity.

Braho also commented on the recent arrest in France of fugitive businessman Ermal Beqiri, who was wanted by SPAK in connection with the AKSHI case. He said the arrest followed weeks of coordination with French authorities and was not the result of a chance operation. According to Braho, SPAK had identified Beqiri’s whereabouts in advance and had already submitted a mutual legal assistance request before his arrest.

Regarding the aircraft Beqiri was reportedly flying when he was detained near a French nuclear power facility, Braho said prosecutors have requested the seizure of all assets linked to the suspect in France, adding that the investigation extends beyond the aircraft to other properties.

Beqiri was arrested in France last Saturday under an Albanian arrest warrant issued as part of the AKSHI investigation. SPAK has also seized a luxury Predator 50 Skyfall yacht, valued at nearly €1 million, which prosecutors suspect was purchased by Beqiri despite being formally registered in the name of an employee of his company, Soft & Solutions. The investigation remains ongoing.