Albanian authorities have arrested Moisi Habilaj, one of the most prominent figures linked to international drug trafficking networks operating between Albania and Italy, ending a years-long search for the convicted fugitive.

The 48-year-old was apprehended in the coastal village of Borsh during a police operation codenamed “Methods,” conducted by the Vlora Local Police Directorate in cooperation with Albania’s Special Operational Force Directorate. According to state police, Habilaj was located at a local establishment and taken into custody for extradition proceedings to Italy.

Italian authorities had sentenced Habilaj to 12 years, two months and 13 days in prison for participation in an armed criminal organization involved in narcotics trafficking. Albanian police also executed a separate arrest warrant issued by the former Serious Crimes Court in December 2018, linked to charges including drug production, drug trafficking, and participation in a structured criminal group.

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Authorities said Habilaj was allegedly attempting to avoid recognition at the time of his arrest by wearing a cap and growing a beard. Media reports citing investigative sources indicated that he had been located at a beach bar in Borsh reportedly owned by members of his family.

The operation also resulted in the arrest of a 46-year-old Albanian citizen identified as Eduard Ahmeti, while a 70-year-old Italian national, identified only by the initials S.F., was placed under investigation on suspicion of assisting a wanted individual.

Habilaj has long been considered a central figure in one of the most high-profile drug trafficking cases connecting Albania and Italy. Prosecutors linked him to multiple drug trafficking episodes between 2013 and 2017. In Albania, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, later reduced to 10 years under the country’s fast-track trial procedure.

In Italy, the Court of Appeal of Catania handed down a final sentence of 15 years and five months in prison in 2021. Several associates were convicted in the same case.

Habilaj had previously benefited from a change in detention status from prison to house arrest. However, when the final Italian verdict was issued, authorities were unable to locate him at his declared residence in Ragusa, Sicily, and he was subsequently classified as a fugitive.

Albanian police said the arrest followed intensive investigative work and the use of special surveillance methods aimed at locating one of Italy’s most wanted criminal suspects. The case has now been referred to prosecutors for further legal procedures and extradition-related actions.