The head of Albania’s Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK), Klodjan Braho, has defended the agency’s latest crackdown on organized crime, following a major operation that resulted in the seizure of assets worth approximately €150 million and security measures against 10 suspects linked to an alleged international cocaine trafficking network.

In a public statement released through SPAK’s official channels, Braho said the institution remains committed to targeting criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking from Latin America to Europe and the United Kingdom, as well as the laundering of illicit proceeds.

“Assets of criminal origin damage the legal economy, undermine free competition and harm businesses that operate lawfully and honestly,” Braho said. He added that such assets strengthen organized crime groups, finance further criminal activities and provide no benefit to the public.

According to Braho, confiscating criminally acquired wealth is a key component of the fight against organized crime. He argued that assets linked to criminal activity should be seized, confiscated and transferred to the state for lawful public use.

The statement came after SPAK announced one of its largest anti-organized crime operations in recent years. Authorities executed court-approved security measures against 10 individuals suspected of involvement in international cocaine trafficking and money laundering activities.

As part of the operation, prosecutors ordered the seizure of 491 assets, including real estate, commercial properties, bank accounts and other holdings, with an estimated total value of €150 million.

Braho also sought to reassure legitimate investors and business owners, emphasizing that SPAK’s actions are directed exclusively at assets suspected of having criminal origins or connections to criminal activity.

“Under no circumstances will the property rights or other legal rights of individuals and companies that have acquired assets through lawful means be violated,” he stated.

The latest operation follows another major organized crime investigation carried out just days earlier, in which authorities targeted a separate criminal group allegedly led by the Koçeku brothers. In that case, prosecutors seized assets valued at more than €130 million.

The successive operations represent some of the largest asset confiscation efforts undertaken by Albanian authorities in recent years, underscoring an intensified campaign against organized crime networks and the financial structures that support them.