Mafia-style killing in Sarandë,” Dogjani: Conflict began with the 2025 shooting

Former senior State Police official Asllan Dogjani commented on the killing that took place this Sunday in Sarandë during a live appearance on Greta Topjana’s “Review” program on Euronews Albania.

According to Dogjani, today’s execution is suspected to be part of a chain of criminal events whose origins are linked to the shooting and wounding of two people in 2025.

He explained that the father of one of the people involved was later killed. He was suspected of having supported the person responsible for the shooting. Following that incident, a mine or explosive device was placed at the suspect’s home, while the conflict culminated in the killing carried out today in the center of Sarandë.

Dogjani described the incident as extremely serious, stressing that it had caused panic not only among the Albanian public but also internationally. He noted that Sarandë, Durrës and Tirana are visited by tourists and travelers, meaning crimes of this kind cause significant damage to Albania and endanger the lives of both Albanian and foreign citizens.

The former police official also highlighted the wounding of a 73-year-old passerby, describing it as a significant indicator of the level of public safety in Albania.

According to him, the mafia-style killing in the center of Sarandë brings to mind Italy in the 1970s or other countries outside the democratic world, where executions are carried out because of drug trafficking.

Dogjani said that Albanian criminal groups have grown significantly stronger and now control the trafficking of cocaine from Latin American countries to Europe and the United States. He added that the number of drug users in Albania has also increased.

According to him, clashes between these groups are linked to control of territory, large sums of money, illicit proceeds and international trafficking. Dogjani said that criminal organizations now recruit and pay people to carry out killings.