Albanian special police forces have arrested Ylli Zalla, a 49-year-old man who had been wanted since November 2025, following a successful operation in the Krujë area after several previous attempts to locate him.

The operation, codenamed “End of the Escape,” was carried out by RENEA special forces, the Directorate of Special Operational Forces, operational units of the Tirana Regional Police Directorate and the Krujë Police Station.

According to police, Zalla was located in a wooded area in Krujë. At the time of his arrest, officers seized a Kalashnikov rifle and three magazines from him.

Zalla had been wanted since November 2025, when police discovered an arsenal of weapons and explosives at his home in the Fushë-Krujë area. Authorities later carried out additional searches in the area, uncovering firearms, explosives, ammunition, cannabis, police uniforms and other items.

Police also said that during a June operation, a pistol loaded and ready to fire, ammunition, a mobile phone and a frequency detector were found at his residence.

Zalla has also been linked by investigators to the November 2025 shooting in Rinas, in which Gilmando Dani was killed and Muçi Shaljani was seriously wounded. Authorities had investigated whether Zalla had assisted those involved, although the allegations remain subject to investigation and have not been established as proven in court.

His previous criminal record also dates back more than a decade. In 2014, Zalla was arrested on charges related to the production of improvised explosives and illegal possession of firearms, as well as drug-related offenses. At the time, authorities also investigated alleged links to ISIS recruitment networks.

Police said the procedural materials will be submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office for further action.

The arrest marks the latest development in a months-long police effort to locate Zalla, who had repeatedly evaded capture before being detained by RENEA forces on Monday.