The National Bureau of Investigation of Albania has carried out searches at the villa and office premises of businessman Samir Mane, as part of SPAK’s investigations into one of the largest files on international cocaine trafficking and money laundering.
The searches were carried out by decision of the GJKKO, while sources for Albeu.com indicate that during the operation the businessman’s mobile phone was also seized, which is expected to be subject to further verification by investigators.
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This development comes as a follow-up to SPAK’s mega-operation, which hit three suspected criminal groups, which according to investigations are suspected of having operated in the field of international cocaine trafficking and money laundering. At the center of the file are the groups linked to Artur Shehu, Artur Koçeku, also known as Luçiano Koçeku, and Alfredo Hamzai.
According to the investigative materials, the proceeds from drug trafficking are suspected of having been channeled into the construction sector, through dubious investments and connections with various businessmen. The file mentions the names of Ilir Shtufi and Orest Sota, as persons through whom it is suspected that money with criminal sources was invested in construction projects.
The investigations have also highlighted suspicions of investments in the Green Coast project in Palasë, one of the most popular resorts on the Albanian coast, owned by businessman Samir Mane.
Mane’s name is mentioned in the SPAK investigative materials, while the search conducted by the BKH in his apartment and offices is seen as an important move by the investigators to verify connections, communications and materials that may be of value to the file.
Sources close to the investigation confirm that during the searches, various equipment and materials were seized, which will be analyzed by SPAK and BKH. The businessman’s mobile phone is one of the material evidences taken for examination, in order to verify communications and contacts that may be related to the case under investigation.
Up to this stage, there has been no public reaction from Samir Mane about the searches carried out at his villa and offices, while SPAK has not yet issued a detailed official announcement about his role in this file.
The searches against one of the biggest business names in Albania further expand the scope of SPAK’s investigations, shifting the focus from criminal drug trafficking groups to sectors where millions of euros derived from criminal activity are suspected of being laundered. /albeu.com/
