SPAK arrests a suspect believed to be a leader of an international drug trafficking group

The Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime has announced that it has arrested an Albanian citizen identified by the initials E.B., who is suspected of being one of the leaders of a structured criminal group involved in international drug trafficking.

According to SPAK’s statement, the criminal proceedings were registered in January 2024 for the criminal offenses of drug trafficking within the framework of a structured criminal group, participation in a criminal group, and the commission of criminal offenses by a criminal organization.

Investigators say the group organized the transport of drugs from Albania to Montenegro, with Germany as the destination, from Albania to Turkey, as well as from South American countries to European Union member states. Part of the evidentiary material was secured through the review of communications on the encrypted Sky ECC platform, administered by the French authorities.

The investigation identified three cases of international drug trafficking: the seizure of 1,722 kilograms of marijuana in Montenegro in November 2020, 236 kilograms of marijuana in Turkey in January 2021, and 475 kilograms of cocaine at the Dutch port of Vlissingen, in a shipment that had arrived from Ecuador.

Initially, the investigation identified 14 suspects, against whom security measures were imposed for involvement in the criminal activity.

SPAK said subsequent investigations identified E.B. as one of the leaders of this criminal group, especially in relation to the episode of drug trafficking to Turkey.

By decision of the Special Court dated July 3, 2026, the security measure of “arrest in prison” was imposed on him, and it was carried out on July 6, 2026 by the State Police.