web counter
LEXO PA REKLAMA!

SHKARKO APP

App Store
Google Play

E fundit!

x

SCANDAL - ALBANIAN CUSTOMS PART OF CRIMINAL GROUP / MP's wife part of 42 million euro evasion

2025-05-29 21:30:00, Aktualitet CNA

SCANDAL - ALBANIAN CUSTOMS PART OF CRIMINAL GROUP / MP's wife part of 42

Millions of euros in cigarette smuggling is the scheme uncovered by SPAK in an investigation initially pursued by prosecutor Adnan Xholi and followed by Bledar Maksuti.

For this investigation, the court has approved 36 security measures, 15 of which are prison sentences.

Some of the measures have been executed and some people remain at large.

This is the first time a state structure has been considered part of a criminal group.

There have been no shortage of cases involving officials such as police officers, politicians, ministers, and MPs, but never a state structure as part of a criminal group with concrete actions.

This scandal also includes fraud against partners, causing the EU to lose 10 million euros in evasion. This is without counting the Albanian state budget.

The wife of the socialist MP in Elbasan, Mr. Luan Duzha, is also under security measures. She is a customs officer in Elbasan, and SPAK has imposed a mandatory reporting measure on her.

SPAK has made the official announcement.

SPAK strikes a structured criminal group for cigarette smuggling, 36 people under investigationThe Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime has registered criminal proceedings no. 20, year 2023* for a sophisticated cigarette smuggling scheme, involving Albanian and foreign citizens, as well as employees of customs structures.The suspects acted within a structured criminal group with the aim of smuggling cigarettes produced within the territory of Albania to neighboring countries and then to those of the EU. Specifically, the commercial entity (Cigarette Factory "AT") involved has applied for and been provided with the "Active Processing Regime" (RPA) authorization, from the customs authority, with the aim of exemption from taxes and customs duties both on the import of raw materials and on export. The subject works under the "fason" regime, producing cigarette packs, for which it has a registered trademark and exclusivity, on behalf of the ordering company headquartered outside the territory of Albania. The investigations have resulted in the agreement between the investigated subject and the ordering company being made with the sole purpose of avoiding customs duties and that the Albanian subject itself determines the destination, which turns out to be non-existent. The structured criminal group, in more than 30 (thirty) cases, has changed the destination and then unloaded the cargo destined for the ordering company in the Albanian territory, with the aim of smuggling it to neighboring countries, without paying customs duties. These are considerable, given the fact that they are excise goods and the legal obligations for export have not been fulfilled, as is unrealistically reflected in the customs documentation. From the entirety of the investigative actions carried out so far, there is a reasonable suspicion that this structured criminal group, with an activity spanning a long period of time, for the purpose of economic profit, has caused considerable damage to the state budget in the amount of 366,034,451,000 lek and to EU countries in one case in the amount of 2,802,159.90 euros if the smuggling were successful, and in four other cases they have achieved their goal by losing the EU the taxed value of approximately 10,000,000 euros. This activity was carried out through the legitimization of smuggling by certain customs structures in violation of the law by not accompanying the loads with anti-smuggling structures until exiting the territory of Albania as well as the fictitious export clearance in the “Asycuda World” system as if this quantity of cigarettes had left our country at the exit customs specified in the customs declaration. Also, the production of cigarette packages without fiscal stamps did not enable the collection of customs duties from the country where they were destined to be sold, an activity in violation of the Excise Law. Regarding the above,The Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime has filed a request for the imposition of a security measure for the suspected citizens and the Special Court of First Instance Against Corruption and Organized Crime, with decision no. 48 dated 27.05.2025, has decided: The imposition of the personal security measure "Arrest in prison", provided for by Article 238 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, against the persons under investigation; IJ, (factory owner), DJ (factory administrator), SD (North Macedonian citizen), LQ (Kosovo citizen and UK citizen), ZS (Serbian citizen) and MB (Serbian citizen), suspected of committing the criminal offenses “Smuggling of goods for which excise duty is paid or with full or partial suspension of customs or excise duties”, committed in the special form of cooperation of the structured criminal group and “Structured criminal group”, as well as “Committing criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group” provided for by Articles 172, point 3 of 28/4 and 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code. The imposition of the personal security measure “House arrest”, provided for by Article 237 of the Criminal Procedure Code, against the citizen under investigation N. G suspected of committing the criminal offenses “Smuggling of goods for which excise duty is paid or with full or partial suspension of customs or excise duties”, committed in the special form of cooperation that of the structured criminal group and the “Structured criminal group”, as well as “Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group” provided for by articles 172, point 3 and 28/4 and 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code. Assigning the personal security measure “Arrest in prison”, provided for by article 238 of the Criminal Procedure Code, to the persons under investigation, customs employees IH, KG, IC, AT, MN, GT, GS, E.SH and IK, as persons suspected of committing the criminal offenses “Smuggling by employees related to customs activity”, committed in the special form of cooperation that of the structured criminal group and the “Structured criminal group”, as well as “Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group” provided for by Articles 175 and 28/4 and 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code. The imposition of the security measure "Prohibition of leaving the country" and "Obligation to report to the Judicial Police", provided for by Articles 233 and 234 of the Criminal Procedure Code, against the citizen under investigation MD (customs employee), suspected of committing the criminal offenses "Smuggling by employees related to customs activity", committed in the special form of cooperation of the structured criminal group and "Structured criminal group", as well as "Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group" provided for by Articles 175 and 28/4 and 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code.The imposition of the security measure "Prohibition of leaving the country" and "Obligation to report to the Judicial Police", provided for by articles 233 and 234 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, against persons under investigation (customs employees); EH, YK, BR, I.Ç, IM, AS, YS, L.Ç, IZ, FZ, GD, NS, LM, DP, BZ, AN, VG, SH.L and LD, suspected of committing the criminal offenses “Smuggling by employees related to customs activity”, provided for by Article 175 of the Criminal Code. Meanwhile, the security measure “Arrest in prison” has been executed for 5 out of 15 citizens under investigation, while the security measure “Compulsory appearance” and “Prohibition of leaving the country” has been executed for 15 out of 20 citizens under investigation. The Special Prosecution Office thanks the British authorities of the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Kosovar, Greek and Cypriot authorities for their cooperation in the investigation of this criminal proceeding, especially in the rapid execution of requests for mutual legal assistance. Note for journalists: Criminal offenses within the framework of criminal proceeding no. 20/2023: *“Smuggling of goods for which excise duty is paid or with full or partial suspension of customs or excise duties”, committed in the special form of cooperation of a structured criminal group and “Structured criminal group”, “Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group”, provided for in Articles 172, point 3, 28/4, 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code, as well as “Smuggling by employees related to customs activity”, committed in the special form of cooperation of a structured criminal group and “Structured criminal group”, as well as “Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group”, provided for in Articles 175, 28/4, 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code.committed in the special form of cooperation of the structured criminal group and the "Structured criminal group", "Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group", provided for by articles 172 point 3, 28/4, 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code, as well as "Smuggling by employees related to customs activity", committed in the special form of cooperation of the structured criminal group and the "Structured criminal group", as well as "Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group", provided for by articles 175, 28/4, 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code.committed in the special form of cooperation of the structured criminal group and the "Structured criminal group", "Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group", provided for by articles 172 point 3, 28/4, 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code, as well as "Smuggling by employees related to customs activity", committed in the special form of cooperation of the structured criminal group and the "Structured criminal group", as well as "Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group", provided for by articles 175, 28/4, 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code.

Personal Note

I, Arsen Rusta, from the same customs that allowed over 42 million euros of abuse, was forced to pay 50 euros of customs duty for 5 clothes for a child's gift. The value was also increased by 40 euros of transport for which it was charged as customs value. This is because the insured value of the package but not the purchase was 140-150 euros. I reiterate the insured value. I spoke to the customs officer and explained that it is marked GIFT. "It was not accepted as an argument". This is because the law and the VKM require you to pay for the gift.

The law and the VKM do not allow you to evade over 42 million euros. 30 in Albania and 12 in the EU.

So even as punishment for stealing the child's gift, you are simply useless to this country./ Weblajm





Lajmet e fundit nga