Large-scale blow to the drug business: millions of euros seized, 1800 kg of drugs, authorities of Italy and Albania carried out arrests
Kyiv • UNN
The authorities of Italy and Albania conducted a large-scale operation against drug trafficking. Millions of euros, thousands of kilograms of drugs were seized and arrest warrants were issued for 52 suspects.
The authorities of Italy and Albania have struck three organized crime groups involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. Several million euros, apartments and companies, luxury cars, cocaine and heroin were seized. Arrest warrants have been issued for 52 suspects.
The operation against drug dealers was coordinated by a joint investigation team, - reports UNN with reference to the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation
Details
During the day, the authorities of both countries seized assets worth at least several million euros, including apartments and companies, as well as various luxury cars. Large sums of cash, cocaine and heroin were also seized.
There is no complete assessment of the total profit from cooperation between the three organized crime groups. However, information obtained through the joint investigation team shows that the criminal networks were involved in payments, often in cash, of around EUR 5 million and in the illegal trafficking of at least 1,800 kilograms of cocaine and heroin.
The operation this week was carried out at the request and with the participation of the following authorities:
- Italy : Prosecutor's Office of Bari - District Directorate for Combating the Mafia, Directorate for Investigations in the Fight against the Mafia of Bari, under the coordination of the National Directorate for Combating the Mafia and Terrorism of Rome, with the support of the Security Expert Office of the Italian Embassy in Tirana;
- Albania : Special Prosecutor's Office for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) of Tirana, Albanian Police.
Additionally
The investigation into related criminal organizations in Italy and Albania was launched in 2016 by the Prosecutor General's Office of Bari, the Special Prosecutor's Office for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime of Tirana, and the Albanian Police.
On the Albanian side, one criminal group operating from Durres was responsible for the transportation and wholesale distribution of large consignments of cocaine, heroin and cannabis trafficked between the Balkans, Northern Europe, South America and Apulia in Italy.
The arrests in Italy and Albania are the result of long-term cooperation within the framework of the joint investigation team. This included the use of wiretapping, intensive video surveillance, monitoring of suspects and analysis of encrypted chats.
These chats were decrypted after intensive cooperation through Eurojust. Judicial cooperation between Italy and Albania has already proven its effectiveness in recent years. Between 2018 and 2021, the Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate in Bari issued and executed 118 arrest warrants for suspected drug traffickers operating in both countries.
As a result, various defendants were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
Reference
A joint investigation team is one of the most modern instruments used in international cooperation in criminal matters, which is a legal agreement between the competent authorities of two or more States for the purpose of conducting criminal investigations.
A group consisting of prosecutors and law enforcement authorities, as well as judges, are established for a specific period, usually from 12 to 24 months, necessary for the successful completion of investigations.
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