The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL) has provided details regarding the crackdown on an Albanian organized criminal network involved in "trafficking tons of cocaine and money laundering."
EUROPOL said that during raids conducted on August 7 and 8 in Albania, ten suspected members of this Albanian organized criminal network were arrested.
"Albanian law enforcement agencies, in coordination with their colleagues from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, carried out this operation supported by EUROPOL, against this clan-based criminal network," the announcement said.
According to EUROPOL, investigations have shown that this network has links to other international criminal organizations that are active throughout the European Union and beyond.
"Following the arrest of a key member of the organization by Albanian authorities in late June 2025, the controls also led to the seizure of significant assets, including a hotel, various properties and businesses, as well as a large amount of physical and digital evidence," the release said.
The European Union's agency said the operation was carried out after analyzing encrypted communications data made on the SkyECC app. They found that there had been shipments of tons of cocaine from Latin America to major EU ports.
"Investigations have shown that for just one of these shipments, the main facility received more than 40 million US dollars for its share," the release said.
According to the report, the head of the Albanian criminal organization was responsible for organizing shipments and investing in the purchase of large quantities of cocaine. He coordinated these criminal operations remotely, "relying on encrypted means of communication."
Before his arrest, EUROPOL said, he was wanted after an Albanian court upheld a 21-year prison sentence – imposed by an Italian court – for murder, deprivation of liberty, attempted concealment of a corpse, intimidation, illegal possession of explosives and ammunition, and obstruction of justice.
"The Albanian organized crime network under investigation operated with a truly global reach, collaborating with other groups that facilitated shipments to EU ports. It invested the huge profits, amounting to tens of millions of euros, in properties and businesses across Albania and other European countries."
During this operation, the EU agency deployed an organized crime expert to Tirana, who provided support from a mobile office and facilitated cooperation between foreign and Albanian law enforcement forces. /REL
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