The Basic Court in Pristina, Special Department, on February 27, 2026, made a decision rejecting the request of the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo to impose a detention measure against police officer Aurel Kaziu, as well as Edmir Ahmagjokaj and Ardit Laskas, suspected of money laundering of approximately 1 million euros, an amount with which they were caught at the border crossing in Merdar on February 24, 2026.
With this decision, the suspects were released to defend themselves in freedom, reports "Oath for Justice".
According to the decision, during the hearing, prosecutor Shenaj Berisha said that the conditions for imposing pre-trial detention on the suspects have been met.
The prosecutor said that the suspects - who are Albanian citizens - were stopped during a customs check and had around 1 million euros hidden, undeclared in the vehicle they were travelling in, the source of which is suspected to be from criminal activity. She said they falsely declared that they had nothing to declare.
Therefore, according to Berisha, given the nature of the criminal offense, the manner of commission and coordination between the suspects, and the fact that they can use their connections across Europe, there is a risk that if they are released, they may try to escape, or influence witnesses or manipulate evidence.
On the other hand, Ahmagjokaj's defense attorney, attorney Fitm Bunjaku, according to the decision, opposed the Prosecution's request, arguing that the necessary conditions for ordering detention do not exist. He said that the SPRK has not made a proper assessment in view of the evidence and the factual situation.
According to Bunjaku, his client was not aware of that amount. This was also stated by the suspect Ahmagjokaj himself, saying that he was only the driver of the car.
"I have never done anything bad in my life and I am a family man," the suspect is quoted as saying.
Even the defense attorney of the suspect Kaziu, attorney Betim Shala, opposed the Prosecution's request, saying that its content cannot accurately and completely prove the suspicion based on which detention is ordered.
According to him, failure to declare an amount over 10 thousand euros is a customs offense and for this, penalties and not criminal sanctions are foreseen. He said that none of the suspects are the owners of the van where the money was found.
Shala emphasized that the risk of escape can be eliminated even with milder measures - bail or house arrest. He said that concealment or alteration of evidence cannot occur because the money is now in the possession of the Police.
Therefore, he proposed that suspect Kaziu be granted bail or house arrest. The lawyer's statement was supported by the suspect.
Meanwhile, the defense attorney of the suspect Laska, lawyer Adelina Imeri-Hasani, completely opposed the request for pre-trial detention, saying that it is not based on concrete evidence and facts.
The lawyer said that Laska was only a passenger in that case and that he had a ticket booked for travel from Germany to Albania, proposing that he be defended in freedom. Imeri-Hasan's statement was supported by Laska.
The Court's assessment:
In the Court's assessment, after reviewing the state prosecutor's request for the imposition of pre-trial detention, it concluded that it was unfounded, rejecting it in its entirety.
The decision states that in this case the essential condition from the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code is not met, assessing that the Prosecution has failed to prove that there is a well-founded suspicion that the defendants have committed the criminal offense they are suspected of.
Therefore, this Court has assessed that in its allegations, the Prosecution has not supported the well-founded suspicion with any evidence.
"As can be seen from the prosecution's request itself, its content only indirectly mentions in a short sentence that there is a well-founded suspicion that the defendants have committed the criminal offense they are suspected of, but no evidence, however superficial, is mentioned on which the prosecution supports its claim that there is a well-founded suspicion," the decision states.
According to the decision, the request for detention on remand was not accompanied by the minimum evidence for this phase of the procedure, such as the vehicle inspection report and the certificate of confiscation of monetary assets - which could prove the objective aspect of the criminal offense. It states that evidence proving the subjective aspect of the criminal offense was not attached either.
In the assessment of the evidence, in this ruling of the Basic Court, it is stated that the request for detention was accompanied by a criminal report compiled by Kosovo Customs, which does not contain any reference to evidence, a report from Kosovo Customs which also does not have any evidence attached except for describing how the incident occurred, as well as the statements of the suspects given to customs investigators, where they denied the crime, and several photographs of monetary instruments, without a specific list of the serial numbers of the banknotes.
According to the Court, although the Prosecution did not rely on that evidence when filing the request, it cannot serve as a basis for supporting reasonable suspicion.
"In this sense, it results that the prosecution's request is not based on any evidence that confirms the well-founded suspicion," the decision states.
Thus, considering that the basic condition (grounded suspicion) for ordering detention was not met, and not addressing the other specific grounds presented in the Prosecution's request, the Court decided to release the defendants.
An appeal against this ruling was allowed within 48 hours to the Court of Appeal.
Request of the Prosecution:
Meanwhile, in the request of the Special Prosecution Office compiled on February 25, 2026, it is stated that there is reasonable suspicion that the defendants Edmir Ahmagjokaj, Aurel Kaziu and Ardit Laska, intentionally and knowing that the certain property was acquired through criminal activity, on February 24, 2026 entered the territory of the Republic of Kosovo through the border crossing in Merdar, in a 'Sprinter' vehicle, driven by the defendant Ahmagjokaj, and the defendants Kaziu and Laska were also in the vehicle.
According to the Prosecution's request, during the inspection by customs officials, after being asked if they possessed anything to declare, they falsely declared that they had nothing to declare, with the aim of hiding and masking the source, and that after passing the vehicle through the scanner, pronounced densities and unusual lines were observed on the underside of the vehicle.
Meanwhile, it is said that during a detailed inspection, by customs officials in cooperation with the Kosovo Police, using technical equipment, in a modified space in the bunker, 18 packages of banknotes in denominations of €10, €20, €50, €100 and €200 were found inside, in a total amount according to the initial estimate of around €1 million.
With these actions, it is said that the defendants in co-perpetration, have hidden and disguised the source and location of the property that constituted profits from criminal activity, have transported and attempted to transfer financial assets with the aim of presenting them as legal, have possessed and exercised control over these financial assets, being aware of their illegal origin.
With this, the defendants are suspected of having co-perpetrated the criminal offense of "Money Laundering" under Article 302 in conjunction with Article 31 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo, in conjunction with Article 56, paragraph 1, point 1.1 of the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism.
It states that in the statement given to customs investigators, Ahmagjokaj stated that he had no knowledge of the money found in the van.
Meanwhile, Kaziu reportedly stated that he had left Tirana for Germany in a blue van, which he had exchanged in Kosovo for the one that was stopped by Customs. He said that he had taken the van from the company, adding that he had no knowledge of the confiscated money. He added that he had stayed one night in Germany and then met with Ahmagjokaj, continuing the journey to Albania.
Laska, according to the Prosecution, also denied any connection to the confiscated money. He said that on February 23, he and two other unknown individuals left for Albania from Gerania.
In the request, the Prosecution assessed that the conditions for ordering pre-trial detention were met: the defendants are suspected of committing serious criminal offenses, there is a risk of flight if they are released, there is a risk of destruction, concealment, alteration or falsification of evidence, and that the gravity of the criminal offense is serious and poses a high social risk. /Oath for Justice
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