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Drug trafficking and money laundering in Norway/ GJKKO sentences Flori and Fredi Palin to prison

2025-05-23 15:55:00, Aktualitet CNA

Drug trafficking and money laundering in Norway/ GJKKO sentences Flori and Fredi

The Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime has announced the final decision in the criminal case against defendants Flori Pali and Fredi Pali, accused of involvement in a structured criminal group with activity in Albania and Norway.

Following the final conclusions of the Special Prosecution Office and the defense of the defendants, the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime, with decision no. 35 dated 09.05.2025, has decided:

The guilty plea of ??the defendant Flori Pali and the sentence of 11 years in prison for committing several criminal offenses:
“Production and sale of narcotics”, committed in collaboration, in the form of a structured criminal group and more than once, provided for by Article 283 paragraph 2 and Article 28 point 4 of the Criminal Code; “Trafficking in narcotics”, committed in collaboration, in the form of a structured criminal group and more than once, provided for by Article 283/a paragraph 2 and Article 28 point 4 of the Criminal Code; “Laundering of the proceeds of a criminal offense or criminal activity”, committed in collaboration, in the form of a structured criminal group, provided for by Article 287 paragraph 1 letters “a”, “b” and “c” and paragraph 4 letters “c”, “ç” and “d”, as well as Article 28 point 4 of the Criminal Code; “Structured criminal group”, in the form of the creation, organization and management of a structured criminal group, provided for by Article 333/a paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code; “Committing criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group”, provided for by Article 334 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code; and in the consolidation of sentences (based on Article 55 of the Criminal Code), and the reduction of 1/3 of the sentence due to the summary trial (Article 406 of the Code of Criminal Procedure).

The guilty plea of ??the defendant Fredi Pali and the sentence of 6 years and 8 months for the criminal offenses:
“Laundering of the proceeds of a criminal offense or criminal activity”, committed in collaboration in the form of a structured criminal group, provided for by Article 287 paragraph 1 letters “a”, “b” and “c” and paragraph 4 letters “ç” and “d”, as well as Article 28 point 4 of the Criminal Code; “Structured criminal group”, in the form of participation in a structured criminal group, provided for by Article 333/a paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code; “Committing criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group”, provided for by Article 334 point 1 of the Criminal Code; Consolidation of sentences (based on Article 55 of the Criminal Code), and reduction of 1/3 of the sentence, due to the summary trial (Article 406 of the Code of Criminal Procedure)

The court also ruled:

The confiscation and transfer in favor of the state of material evidence of 3 mobile phones, as well as a vehicle of the type "Daimler Chrysler", model "A200CDI", manufactured in 1992, owned by citizen Fredi Ndue Pali;
The confiscation and transfer in favor of the state of an immovable property of the type "Are", with an area of ??1874 m², which is located on Shengjin Island, owned by citizen Flori Ndue Pali, for which a "preventive seizure" was imposed.
The defendants were investigated in connection with criminal proceedings no. 132 of 2019, registered with the Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime and were sent for trial on 31.10.2023. The investigation and trial of these defendants was conducted in absentia, and both defendants were subject to the personal security measure "Arrest in prison" in absentia.

In relation to this criminal case, with the criminal decision no. 49, dated 21.11.2024 of the Special Court of Appeal for Corruption and Organized Crime, which has become final, the citizen Anita Adilaj, accused of the criminal offenses; "Production and sale of narcotics", committed in collaboration in the form of a structured criminal group, provided for by Article 283 paragraph 1 and Article 28 point 4 of the Criminal Code; "Laundering of the proceeds of a criminal offense or criminal activity", committed in collaboration in the form of a structured criminal group, provided for by Article 287 paragraph 1 letters "a", and "b" and paragraph 4 letters "c", "ç" and "d", as well as Article 28 point 4 of the Criminal Code; "Structured criminal group", in the form of participation in a structured criminal group, provided for by Article 333/a paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code, as well as "Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group", provided for by Article 334 point 1 of the Criminal Code.

This criminal proceeding has been investigated in close cooperation with the justice authorities of the Kingdom of Norway.

The investigation and trial have revealed the existence of a structured criminal group dedicated to the trafficking, sale, offering for sale, giving or receiving in any form, distribution, trading, transportation, sending, delivery and possession of narcotics, as well as the laundering of the proceeds of crime before 2018 and until 2019, consisting mainly of Albanian citizens resident or not in Norway.

The defendant Flori Pali, in his capacity as an organizer of a structured criminal group during the period from January 2018 to June 2019, in collaboration with the defendants convicted in the Kingdom of Norway, Halit Xhini and Steven Cooper, as well as a network of unidentified distributors, unlawfully directed the trafficking to Norway, the storage, sale and distribution in Stavanger, Norway of at least 4 kg of cocaine and 10 kg of marijuana, securing significant income from this unlawful activity.

Defendant Flori Pali, acting as a leader of the structured criminal group, organized the transfer of significant amounts of money from Norway to Albania, both before and after 2018, with the help of a network of individuals. This money was either transferred through various financial companies, or brought in “cash” by various citizens, where it was then managed by co-defendant Fredi Pali.

Defendant Anita Adilaj is continuously involved in the drug trade in Stavanger, Norway, and has also played a key role in sending money from Norway to Albania, money derived from criminal activity in the field of narcotics, carried out in Norway by the structured criminal group.

Defendant Adilaj played the role of accountant for the convicted person in Norway, her cohabitant Halit Xhini, in relation to the money sent to defendant Flori Pali and the obligations they had towards him.

Defendant Fredi Pali played the role of manager of the money or hidden assets of defendant Flori Pali, in relation to the money sent by other members of the structured criminal group or other citizens from Norway. Defendant Fredi Pali, brother of defendant Flori Pali, played an important role in the money circulation cycle with the aim of losing track and hiding them.

On 08.05.2023, the Sør-Rogaland District Court, Norway, found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment the other members of the structured criminal group; Halit Xhini and Steven Cooper for criminal offenses related to narcotics and laundering of the proceeds of crime.

Preliminary investigations in connection with criminal proceedings no. 132 of 2019 were led by the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime and were conducted in cooperation with investigators from the National Bureau of Investigation, as well as officers from the judicial police services of the General Directorate of the State Police.

Following the conclusions of the Prosecutor of the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, on 13.05.2025, at the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime, the trial on the case with the object of confiscation of property in relation to property proceeding no. 3 of 2022 of the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, based on Law no. 10192 dated 03.12.2009 "On the Prevention and Suppression of Organized Crime and Trafficking through Preventive Measures against Property", as amended, has been completed.

With criminal decision no. 6, dated 13.05.2025, the Special Court for Corruption and Organized Crime has decided, among other things:

1. Acceptance of the request of the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, Tirana.

2. Confiscation and transfer in favor of the state of the assets seized by decision no. 9, dated 09.02.2023 of the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime, extended by decision no. 22, dated 28.07.2023 of the same court, specifically:

Property of the type “apartment” with an area of ??93 m², located at the Zoo, Tirana, registered in the name of the company “P…….” sh.pk which resulted in indirect ownership of the citizen Flori Pali.
Property of the type “apartment” with an area of ??69.7 m² located at the Zoo, Tirana, registered in the name of the company “……” sh.pk which resulted in indirect ownership of the citizen Flori Pali.
Car of the type “Mercedes Benz”, type “E 220 CDI”, year of manufacture 2012, registered in the name of the citizen FL, but which resulted in indirect ownership of the Pali brothers.
By order dated 13.05.2025, issued by the Special Prosecutor, the execution of criminal decision no. 6, dated 13.05.2025 of the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime was ordered, entrusting the execution of this decision to the Agency for the Administration of Sequestered and Confiscated Assets, under the Ministry of Interior, as well as the General Directorate of the State Police./CNA