Dubai has become one of the destinations where some of the best-known figures in Albanian organized crime have found refuge.
Luxury cars, watches worth tens of thousands of euros and apartments worth millions are part of the lifestyle these individuals openly show off on social media, while continuing to be wanted by the authorities.
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The investigative program “In the Crosshairs” on News24 has published footage and details about the luxurious lifestyle of Hajdar Çopja, a 42-year-old from Elbasan who is wanted for involvement in a powerful international cocaine trafficking organization.
Çopja, also known by the names Hajdar Bako, Hysa and Dari of Elbasan, is suspected of having lived in Dubai for years, where he flaunts his wealth through luxury vehicles, expensive watches and apartments in the city’s most exclusive areas.
According to the documentary, Dubai has become a haven for dozens of people wanted by Albanian authorities.
By 2024, around 25 Albanian citizens were believed to be wanted by the Albanian justice system, while more than 100 others were considered to have links to criminal activities.
The investigation also focuses on brothers Hajdar and Franc Çopja, who are suspected of directing international cocaine trafficking, as well as being involved in bloody conflicts and contract killings in Europe and Albania.
Franc Çopja was extradited from Dubai to Belgium in December 2023, and in January 2026 was sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering the murder of Ardit Spahiu in Brussels.
Meanwhile, Mikael Qosja and Flobenc Meçja were sentenced to life in prison.
The documentary also examines the bloody conflict between the Çopja and Alibej families, which is suspected to have begun over disputes about drug deals and escalated into a series of attacks and murders in Albania and various European countries.
One of the testimonies featured is that of Erion Alibej before Belgian investigators, in which he discusses the Çopja brothers’ wealth and investments in Dubai.
According to his testimony, they are suspected of having invested around 20 million euros in the purchase of an apartment in the upscale Palm area, as well as other properties in the city.
