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SPAK operation with Bari Antimafia/Eurojust provides details: 180,000 euros in funds, more than 170 arrests

2026-05-27 17:57:00, Aktualitet CNA

 

Eurojust has made an official statement regarding the joint operation between SPAK and Antimafa.

In the announcement, Eurojust says it has provided Albanian and Italian authorities with more than 180,000 euros in funding to cover costs related to cross-border investigations.

 

Eurojust statement

 

With the active support of Eurojust, authorities in Italy and Albania have dealt a major blow to organized crime groups (OCGs) involved in large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering. During a joint day of action that took place on May 26, 2026 in Italy and Albania, 12 suspects were arrested and three individuals were issued arrest warrants. The investigations relate to a high-profile murder committed in May last year. Eurojust supported cooperation between the Italian and Albanian authorities by facilitating the creation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT). This marks the fifth JIT supported by Eurojust between the Bari Public Prosecutor's Office and the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) between 2018 and 2026 to combat international drug trafficking organizations linked to the Puglia territory, resulting in more than 170 arrests.

Today's joint action is the culmination of several parallel investigations into various criminal offenses, including murder, drug trafficking and money laundering, which ultimately focused on the same individuals.

On May 25, 2025, a brawl in a bar in the Bari region of Italy quickly escalated into the brutal murder of a victim in a secluded cave in the Upper Murgia area. The investigation into the murder revealed links to drug trafficking activities allegedly managed by an Albanian national. As the authorities continued their investigations into both the murder and the drug trafficking, they identified a structured organized criminal group involved in international money laundering. At the same time, a separate investigation targeting Albanian nationals operating in the Puglia region was already underway and focused on the same criminal network.

Eurojust supported the establishment of a JIT in December 2023 between Italian and Albanian authorities, facilitating a coordinated investigation into the organized crime group. As a result of the joint investigation and the coordinated action day, 15 individuals were held accountable for various charges, including premeditated murder committed using mafia-style methods, attempted extortion, illegal possession and possession of firearms and ammunition, aiding and abetting, and breach of personal preventive measures. The investigation also uncovered the laundering of almost €1 million in criminal proceeds transferred from Italy to Albania through a structured organized crime group based in Tirana.

The Joint Action Day builds on years of successful judicial cooperation between Italian and Albanian authorities, supported by Eurojust. Between 2018 and 2026, the Bari District Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA) and the Special Anti-Crime Structure (SPAK) in Tirana set up five JITs aimed at dismantling Albanian criminal organizations involved in the international trafficking of cocaine and heroin in Italy.

In addition to supporting judicial coordination, Eurojust provided JITs with more than €180,000 in funding to cover costs related to cross-border investigations, including travel, interpretation and translation, transport of seized items, forensic examinations and specialist expertise, thus reducing the pressure on national budgets.

The ongoing cooperation through the five JITs, built on trust, commitment and close operational coordination, has led to more than 170 arrests between 2018 and 2026 and the seizure of over seven tons of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, hashish and marijuana. The investigations have also resulted in prison sentences of up to 20 years for the defendants at various stages of the judicial process.

As the central hub for judicial cooperation in the EU, Eurojust is proud to support its partners in the fight against organized crime and facilitate the effective use of judicial cooperation tools.

The actions were carried out by the following authorities:

Italy: Bari Public Prosecutor's Office - Antimafia District Directorate, Bari Antimafia Investigation Directorate, Andria State Police Mobile Squad, Security Attaché of the Italian Embassy in Tirana.

Albania: Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK); Albanian State Police





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