Mega operation with the cooperation of SPAK/ Five people arrested

2025-01-21 13:33:00, Kronika CNA

Five people were arrested in Tirana, Elbasan and Shkodra as part of the mega-operation "Icaro.al", an operation carried out by SPAK in coordination with European law enforcement agencies.

The arrested citizens are ID, 30 years old, resident of Elbasan; Sh. P., 44 years old, resident of Elbasan; ED, 40 years old, resident of Elbasan; E. Zh., 41 years old, resident of Shkodër; GB, 28 years old, resident of Tirana. The latter are accused by the Court of Brescia in Italy of having organized as a group to traffic cocaine narcotics from South America to Central European countries and Italy through vehicles modified to conceal the substances.

As part of this operation, 12 people have been arrested and eight others are being investigated.

The State Police is part of the international police mega-operation codenamed "ICARO.AL".

The mega-operation initiated by the Italian authorities, to destroy a criminal group that was trafficking cocaine in vehicles from South America to sell in Italy and Central European countries.

So far, 12 citizens have been arrested as part of this mega-operation and 8 others are being investigated.

Five Albanian citizens, accused of being members of the group, are located in Albania and arrested for extradition purposes.

Further, information provided by the Albanian Police enabled the capture in Spain of another member of the group, also a citizen with a criminal record.

1 Albanian citizen, currently wanted for other criminal offenses, is identified and declared wanted for the same charge.

As part of the mega-operation "ICARO.AL", the Structures for the Investigation of Organized Crime at the DPPSH, those of the Tirana and Elbasan Local Police Directorates, the Directorate of the Special Operational Force, the National Security Force Tirana Unit, as well as the Guardia di Finanza, in cooperation with SPAK, arrested the following citizens:

ID, 30 years old, resident in Elbasan;
Sh. P., 44 years old, resident in Elbasan;
ED, 40 years old, resident in Elbasan;
E. Zh., 41 years old, resident in Shkodër;
GB, 28 years old, resident in Tirana.

Further, as a result of the provision of information by Albanian Police structures, and its exchange with Spanish counterparts, the Albanian citizen with a criminal record, GP alias AP, 48 years old, was arrested in Spain.

Also, during the development of this mega-operation, in Albania, citizen MM, 28 years old, was identified and declared wanted, who is also wanted for other criminal offenses.

In coordination with partners, work is underway to locate and arrest this citizen.

These citizens are accused by the Court of Brescia, Italy, of having organized as a group, trafficked the narcotic drug Cocaine from South America, through vehicles modified to conceal the narcotic substance, and sold it in cities in Italy and in Central European countries.

Interpol Tirana is cooperating with counterparts to finalize the extraditions of arrested citizens.

The procedural materials were passed to SPAK for further action. /CNA