Drug trafficking from Albania to EU countries and South America/ What SkyECC communications revealed

2025-12-10 14:59:00, Kronika CNA

Drug trafficking from Albania to EU countries and South America/ What SkyECC

SPAK has revealed details from the operation to crack down on drug trafficking from Albania to European Union countries and South America.

The following announcement states that the suspected persons involved in the illegal activity communicated with each other through the "SkyECC" application.

Communications managed by French justice authorities also helped in fully uncovering the criminal activity.

Full announcement:

The Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, on 18.1.2024, has mainly registered criminal proceedings no. 9 of 2024, for criminal offenses committed during the years 2020-2021: “Trafficking in narcotics”, committed in cooperation in the form of a structured criminal group, provided for by articles 283/a and 28 point 4 of the Criminal Code; “Structured criminal group”, provided for by article 333/a 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 of the Criminal Code, without a perpetrator.

These investigations have been carried out in close cooperation with European justice authorities, the investigation structures of the Criminal Police Department of the State Police, as well as the National Bureau of Investigation, for which a series of important investigative actions have been undertaken.

The investigations to date have resulted in reasonable suspicions, based on evidence, that the suspects are involved in illegal drug trafficking activities from Albania to Montenegro with a final destination in Germany, from Albania to Turkey, and from South American countries to the European Union. During their activities, the suspects also communicated with each other through the encrypted application “SkyECC”. These communications were managed by the French justice authorities within the framework of mutual legal assistance.

From the review and analysis of the administered data, it has been possible to identify 14 (fourteen) Albanian citizens under investigation: IS (alias X.), E. Sh., R. Rr., BS (alias X.), AN (alias LS), HS (alias X., alias L.), VB, P. Rr., G. Rr., AA (alias Ç.), A. Gj. (alias I.), AQ, J. Ç. and MB, suspected of involvement in illegal criminal activity in the field of narcotics trafficking.

From the entirety of the investigative actions carried out so far, as well as from the execution of letters of request by the Montenegrin, Dutch and Turkish authorities, important circumstances of the commission of criminal offenses have been revealed, highlighting the roles of the leaders, financiers and participants in this criminal activity, according to the episodes presented below.

– The first episode dates back to 3.11.2020, during which the competent authorities of Montenegro seized a quantity of 1722 kg of marijuana, a narcotic plant, sent from Albania with a final destination of Germany.

– The second episode dates back to 23.11.2020, during which the competent authorities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands seized a quantity of 475 kg of cocaine, shipped from Ecuador to the Port of Vlissingen, Netherlands.

– The third episode dates back to 26.1.2021, during which the Turkish authorities seized 236 kg of marijuana, a narcotic plant, sent from Albania with the final destination being Turkey.

Also, on 10.12.2025, the suspect MB was seized, among other things, a "Glock" model firearm, and was arrested in flagrante delicto for the criminal offense of "Unauthorized possession and production of weapons, explosive weapons and ammunition" in the apartment (Article 278/4 of the Criminal Code), during the execution of the personal security measure.

Investigations continue with the administration of evidence regarding the implication of other persons suspected of being involved in these illegal criminal activities.

The Special Prosecution Office thanks the German, French, Dutch, Belgian, Montenegrin, Turkish, Ecuadorian justice authorities, as well as Eurojust and Europol, for the support provided to SPAK. /CNA