Assets worth around 1 million euros seized in Kosovo in a money laundering investigation linked to drug trafficking

In an operation carried out on June 30, 2026 in Pristina, the Kosovo Police and the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo announced the seizure of assets with an approximate value of 1 million euros as part of an international investigation into the laundering of money obtained from drug trafficking.

According to the joint statement, the operation was conducted in cooperation with the Italian and French authorities, under the coordination of Europol and Eurojust, while the focus of the investigation was the cross-border laundering of criminal proceeds.

The investigation showed that cash was converted into gold in order to conceal its illegal origin and to make it easier to transport criminal assets across borders, especially toward Kosovo, Turkey and Morocco.

According to the Police, through the analysis of seized evidence and data received from Italy through mutual legal assistance, it was possible to uncover bank accounts, business interests, real estate and luxury vehicles owned by a couple of Kosovo citizens residing in Italy.

The couple is under criminal investigation in Italy on suspicion of money laundering and had been arrested in France in September 2025, after authorities found more than 56 kilograms of gold bars and 2.5 million euros hidden in modified compartments of two vehicles.

Also in September 2025, authorities had seized other assets worth more than 30 million euros linked to a transnational criminal network involved in laundering proceeds derived from drug trafficking in France.

In implementation of the request for mutual legal assistance, the Special Prosecution – Department for the Investigation of Organized Crime, in coordination with the Kosovo Police, carried out the procedural and investigative actions that enabled the identification, tracing and seizure of assets in the territory of Kosovo.

The authorities stressed that throughout the investigative process, Europol and Eurojust provided significant support, assisting operational and judicial cooperation among the authorities of France, Italy and Kosovo in the fight against organized crime and money laundering.