Explosives Planted at His Home a Day Earlier: From Weapons Arsenal Seizures to Links to the Rinas Assassination — The Dark Profile of Ylli Zalla

Ylli Zalla, the 49-year-old from Zallë in Fushë-Krujë who was wanted by the authorities, has been arrested by the State Police and RENEA special forces after several months on the run.

He was located in another residence near his home in Zallë, where, according to the latest information, he had been hiding for some time. At the time of his arrest, Zalla was armed with a Kalashnikov rifle and ammunition.

His name has appeared for years in case files involving weapons, explosives and drugs.

Explosives planted at his home a day before his arrest

According to information released yesterday, August 16, explosives were planted at Ylli Zalla’s home in Zallë, Fushë-Krujë.

The incident occurred while Zalla was still wanted by police and one day before his arrest by RENEA. The circumstances, perpetrators and motive behind the planting of the explosives remain to be clarified by the investigation.

Arrested after months on the run

Zalla had been wanted since November 2025 and had managed to evade police forces for months.

In June 2026, Tirana Police, the Krujë Police Station and RENEA conducted an operation in the village of Zallë to capture him. However, after noticing the police presence, Zalla managed to escape into a wooded area, taking advantage of the darkness.

A pistol with ammunition in the chamber, military-grade ammunition, a mobile phone and a frequency detector were found in his home. A 55-year-old man was also arrested during that operation on suspicion of alerting Zalla and helping him escape.

This time, after he was located in another residence near his home, the RENEA operation ended with the arrest of the highly wanted man.

Wanted after the Rinas assassination

Zalla’s name returned to the spotlight in November 2025 following the assassination in Rinas in which Gilmando Dani and Muçi Shaljani were killed.

During searches carried out in the Fushë-Krujë area, an arsenal of weapons and explosives was discovered at premises linked to Zalla. He was consequently declared wanted.

In the early stages of the investigation, suspicions were raised that Zalla may have helped the perpetrators of the assassination. It is even suspected that the vehicle used by the perpetrators may have departed from the grounds of his home.

The first arsenal: weapons, explosives and drugs

During the first search in November 2025, the following items were reportedly seized from premises linked to Zalla:

* 3 blocks of TNT;

* 12 hand grenades;

* explosive devices fitted with detonator caps;

* fuses and detonator caps;

* 2 automatic rifles and 2 rifles;

* around 6,000 rounds of ammunition;

* weapon parts and magazines;

* around 2 kilograms of cannabis.

Investigators initially linked this arsenal to the Rinas assassination, but forensic examinations later ruled out the use of these weapons in that incident.

Another weapons depot discovered in February 2026

In February 2026, police discovered another large arsenal in the Zallë area, near the 49-year-old’s home.

According to information released by police, officers seized 24 blocks of TNT, 11 hand grenades, assembled explosive devices, 74 detonator caps, 19 spherical C4 casings, 11 sticks of dynamite, 27 fuses, firearms, two silencers, around 9,000 rounds of ammunition, approximately 6 kilograms of suspected Cannabis Sativa and police uniforms.

Following this discovery, Zalla was again declared wanted, and police considered him a highly dangerous individual.