As part of the police operation codenamed “Fast,” 32-year-old Franko Broqi was arrested in the village of Kosan, in Malësia e Madhe, after being placed on an international wanted list by the Italian authorities.

The operation was carried out by the operational services of the Search Sector (FAST Albania), under the Directorate of the Special Operations Force, in cooperation with the Shkodër Local Police Directorate.

The 32-year-old, a resident of Kosan, was provisionally arrested with a view to his extradition to Italy.

The international search for Broqi was activated by Interpol Rome, based on an arrest warrant issued by the Preliminary Investigations Court at the L’Aquila Court.

According to the Italian authorities, he is suspected of the criminal offenses of “Participation in a criminal organization for the purpose of drug trafficking” and “Tampering with seals affixed by the authorities,” as provided for under the Italian Penal Code.

Following his detention, Interpol Tirana and Interpol Rome continued the procedural steps for the 32-year-old’s extradition to Italy.

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A 32-year-old man wanted internationally has been arrested by police at Rinas Airport for extradition to Kosovo. Police said the man is a 32-year-old from Kukës, identified by the initials A. Sh., who was wanted internationally after the Basic Court of Pristina issued an arrest warrant for him for the criminal offense of “Unauthorized purchase, possession, distribution and sale of narcotics.”

“The services of the Special Force ‘Shqiponja,’ based on operational information received regarding the apprehension of wanted individuals and the exchange of information with Interpol Tirana, located and apprehended at Rinas Airport citizen A. Sh., 32, a resident of Kukës,” police said.

Meanwhile, Interpol Tirana, in cooperation with the Kosovo authorities, will carry out the procedures for the extradition of the 32-year-old to Kosovo.

Statement:

Tirana Local Police Directorate/The coded operation “Wanted” to apprehend internationally wanted individuals continues.

Accused in Kosovo of criminal activity in the field of narcotics, the 32-year-old was apprehended and arrested for extradition.

At the time he was stopped by police services, this citizen presented himself under another identity in order to avoid being identified and arrested.

The services of the Special Force “Shqiponja,” based on operational information received regarding the apprehension of wanted individuals and the exchange of information with Interpol Tirana, located and apprehended at Rinas Airport citizen A. Sh., 32, a resident of Kukës.

This citizen was wanted internationally after the Basic Court of Pristina, Kosovo, issued an arrest warrant for him for the criminal offense of “Unauthorized purchase, possession, distribution and sale of narcotics.”

Interpol Tirana, in cooperation with the Kosovo authorities, will carry out the procedures for the extradition of the 32-year-old to Kosovo.

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Police arrested Siciljan Cakraj in the Astir area of Tirana as part of the “Force of Law” operation on suspicion of a drug-related criminal offense.

The suspect is the son of Petrit Cakraj, who is accused of kidnapping and murdering Renis Dobra together with the Bushgjoka brothers.

Siciljan Cakraj is expected to appear before the Tirana Court tomorrow for a hearing to determine the security measure against him.

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A nightclub on Potam Beach in Himara was found to have been adapted for the sale of narcotics. Police concluded the anti-drug operation code-named “Late-night,” arresting the owner of the establishment and one of its employees.

The owner, M. B., 33, a resident of Tepelena, and the bartender, A. Gj., 20, a resident of Lazarat, were arrested.

During a physical search of the 20-year-old, police found 5 suspected doses of cocaine and 8 suspected doses of Cannabis Sativa.

Meanwhile, during a search of the nightclub owner’s home, 145 suspected doses of cocaine, an electronic scale, and a sporting pistol, which the 33-year-old is suspected of possessing without a permit, were seized.

In total, 150 doses of cocaine, 8 doses of cannabis, a sporting weapon, two mobile phones, and an electronic scale were seized as part of the operation.

The operation was carried out after police received intelligence that narcotics were being sold at the nightclub in Potam. Officers from the Himara Police Station intervened at the establishment and made the arrests in flagrante delicto.

The procedural materials have been referred to the Prosecutor’s Office for further action.

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Police in Krujë have concluded the operation codenamed “Baruni,” targeting a case involving the cultivation of narcotic plants.

During patrols in the area known as “Skahide,” in the Barun neighborhood, officers from the Krujë Police Station discovered a plot of land planted with plants suspected to be cannabis sativa.

At the moment of the intervention, police caught and handcuffed E. P., a 62-year-old resident of Krujë, suspected of cultivating the illegal plants.

The narcotic plants were destroyed by burning, while monitoring continues throughout the Krujë area to identify and crack down on other cases of cannabis cultivation. The Prosecution has received the procedural materials for further action.

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A substantial shipment of 21 tons of cocaine has been seized by Spanish authorities, who dismantled an organization operating in the main ports of Spain and Ecuador.

A total of 43 people were arrested, eight in Spain and 36 in Ecuador. One million euros in cash was seized during house searches in Spain.

The criminal organization, based mainly in La Rioja, is suspected of setting up a network to bring containers carrying large quantities of cocaine through the ports of Malaga, Algeciras and Valencia.

The organization had three branches, one linked to Albanians in Dubai

According to Spanish authorities, the criminal organization consisted of three branches. The first, the main Spanish branch, was made up of Spanish and Moroccan nationals and was responsible for establishing the business structure needed to import containers from South America. Its role was to give the operation a legitimate appearance and provide a destination for the legal cargo.

The network’s second branch originated in Ecuador, where most of the seized drugs came from. From the country’s main logistics hubs, primarily the port of Guayaquil, its members controlled the containers that would ultimately reach Spain.

The third branch, based in Dubai, consisted of investors of Albanian origin who injected large sums of money into Spanish companies. These funds, in turn, served as payments to secure business activity for the companies, thereby disguising the large, periodic drug shipments.

Initial arrests and searches in Ecuador

According to Spanish police, the first phase of the investigation was carried out in Ecuador in March 2025, dismantling the branch based in that country and resulting in 50 house searches in different parts of the country, as well as the arrest of 36 people.

The operation involved personnel from the Central Operational Unit (UCO), integrated into the Ecuadorian police force.

Arrests and house searches in Spain

In Spain, as a result of the investigation, which lasted more than two years, house searches and arrests were carried out in the provinces of La Rioja, Alicante, Seville and Cadiz.

The operation resulted in the arrest and investigation of eight people and the seizure of approximately one million euros in cash found during searches conducted in the city of Arnedo (La Rioja). Numerous properties, vehicles and financial assets were also frozen.

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Director General of the State Police, Senior Director Skender Hita, together with other senior State Police officials, received the delegation of the Guardia di Finanza, led by the Commander of Air and Maritime Operations, Major General Joselito Minuto.

The focus of the meeting was aerial monitoring of Albanian territory to prevent and combat the cultivation of narcotic plants.

During the talks, Hita expressed his gratitude to the representatives of the Guardia di Finanza for their ongoing partnership. He noted that this cooperation has long gone beyond the formal institutional framework, becoming a lasting model of trust, understanding and friendship, with concrete and highly positive results in the fight against the cultivation of narcotic plants.

Major General Joselito Minuto, for his part, reaffirmed the Guardia di Finanza’s commitment to intensifying aerial surveillance. This will be achieved by increasing the number of flights and checking every coordinate reported as an area at risk for the cultivation of narcotic plants.

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A 50-year-old man wanted internationally was arrested in Durrës during a police operation codenamed “FAST.” Operational officers from the FAST Albania Fugitive Search Unit, in coordination with the Durrës Local Police Directorate, located and detained Gentian Lika, who was born in Kavajë.

Italian authorities had placed Lika on the international wanted list after the Rome Court of Appeal sentenced him in March 2025 to six years in prison for the criminal offense of drug trafficking, committed in collaboration with others.

Police said the arrest was carried out to pave the way for the 50-year-old’s extradition to Italy. The relevant procedures are being handled by Interpol Tirana in cooperation with its Italian counterparts.

Operation “FAST” is continuing with the aim of tracking down and arresting internationally wanted individuals so they can face justice.

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In the Ecuadorian city of Durán, teeming with narcotics and rival gangs, police captain Jean Carlos Bustamante knows exactly what awaits him. The danger comes not only from criminals who kill and sometimes dismember rivals, but also from betrayal within the system.

“Within our unit, in the state apparatus and in politics, there are many bad people,” he says. “There are many corrupt ones, paid by the gangs.”

The captain, 34 years old, is the oldest among his carefully selected colleagues, whom he considers the only trustworthy ones. He still moves with the reflexes of a former special forces member.

As night falls, he leads the squad into a poor neighborhood. There, metal grilles cover the windows and the residents don’t speak out of terror. This area is the bastion of a criminal group called Los Aguilas – The Eagles.

Asked what happens if residents dare to speak against the gang, the captain answers curtly: “They kill them. That’s why they never talk.”

The next operation targets an abandoned house where weapons are suspected to be hidden. Armed individuals rarely keep them in their own homes. His heavily armored squad moves along the wall and forces entry using a metal battering ram.

Inside, two pistols were found — one rusted, the other ready for use — as well as ammunition for assault rifles.

The captain is satisfied. “First of all, we are safe. Secondly, the gangs have been deprived of two weapons,” he explains.

However, this remains a modest victory in an endless conflict. He openly admits that criminal groups have “many weapons and far more money than the state.”

He knows the risks by heart, having already lost three close friends in this clash. He himself abandoned fear a long time ago, but his parents have not.

“My mom tells me to be careful because I might die out there. My dad calls me constantly and asks if I’m okay, begs me to say I’m fine,” he recounts.

From the masked alleyways of Durán to the hot spots of London and other capitals, a clear line can be drawn through dollars and shattered lives.

According to President Daniel Noboa, approximately 70% of the cocaine flooding Europe and the United States transits through Ecuador.

The narcotics come from neighboring Colombia and Peru, the two largest producers in the world. Local gangs, strongly linked to Mexican cartels and Albanian mafia groups, run the smuggling by taking advantage of weak border controls, underfunded security forces, and the vast Pacific coastline.

Thus, what was once known as a quiet tourist paradise, in less than ten years turned into a place haunted by murders.

Last year, the murder rate was among the highest in the world, with over 9,200 people killed, according to the Interior Ministry. This despite President Noboa’s harsh crackdowns over the past two years.

Critics say the effects of these actions were the opposite: major bosses were arrested, which led to fragmentation but also multiplication of gangs.

Many residents are now convinced that the battle against these groups can never be won.

Captain Bustamante refuses to give up. During another operation, he lies in wait, observing alleyways from above with a drone. He spots three figures loitering near a playground: “micro-traffickers” caught red-handed, as he declares. They are at the bottom of the criminal chain, selling minimal quantities, not kilograms.

Very quickly, the captain goes with his team to the suspects’ apartment. The door is battered again and within moments, the police are in the kitchen. A middle-aged woman protests, while a young girl bursts into tears.

Without electricity, the officers move through rooms with flashlights, open closets and lift mattresses. On the upper floor, they discover a hiding place behind a window. One suspect comes out and is stopped, two are handcuffed in another room. All deny the charges.

A little further, the captain discovers paper packets marked with the letter “H” hidden in a vase. They contain a mixture of addictive substances, with traces of heroin, sold by local traffickers for 1 dollar each.

One of those arrested is charged and, if found guilty, faces five years in prison. The other two are released by prosecutors. Senior officials say this happens often and blame corruption in the judicial and prosecutorial system.

Colonel Santiago Gavilanes, deputy commander of the Durán police, says: “We imprison them and they release them. We know this because during other raids we catch them again. Some of them, released, kill and create orphans.” He adds that gangs have huge sums of money to “buy laws, judges and politicians.”

An example of their purchasing power comes from another officer, at a location we cannot reveal for his safety. He says he was contacted twice with the offer of a bribe so large that “he could retire immediately,” but he refused.

Someone, perhaps a colleague, had informed the gang of every detail about his work. “You never know who is watching you,” he said, a phrase we heard often during our stay in Durán.

On the playground, after another long day in a bulletproof vest, the captain admits he feels exhausted, but “this is my job. I believe we can win this war. We must.”

As we talk, it is reported that one of the main leaders of the local gang has been spotted nearby. “We know he controls the traffickers, but without traces or evidence, we have no grounds to arrest him,” he clarifies.

Nevertheless, the local police insist they are making changes. According to them, the number of murders in Durán was halved in the first six months of this year.

They add that progress is also seen in streets that are no longer empty after seven in the evening, and in the fact that bodies with severed heads or dismembered limbs are no longer found.

“We have managed to keep the gangs contained,” says Colonel Gavilanes. “Regaining full control will be a medium-term task.”

In another scene, it appears the criminals keep the police in check. Through a contact, we met a local gang on their territory, about an hour from the city. Their leader, whom we will call Jonathan, told us he had four officers on his payroll.

“Whenever there’s going to be an operation, they tip me off by phone,” he said. “They tell me to hide things and leave. So when they arrive, they find nothing.” These early warnings cost him about 1,500 to 2,000 dollars a month.

Jonathan is 37 years old, only a few years older than Bustamante, but circumstances have placed him on the other side of the barricades. He recounts that he joined a gang at the age of 18 to secure food.

Together with others, all faces covered, they strolled openly in the middle of the day with weapons in hand, including a semi-automatic rifle and pistols. The youngest member there was a frail 17-year-old, equipped with a bulletproof vest and a machete sheath.

The conversation with Jonathan took place in a small room of a simple house, with his henchmen crowded inside. The space was almost entirely taken up by a bed.

He admitted without hesitation that he was both a trafficker and a killer. When I asked how many lives he had taken, the answer was precise and cold: “So far, maybe six, maybe eight. I don’t remember exactly.” He said it while holding the pistol in his lap, with the barrel pointed at me.

Jonathan claims the gang does not touch innocent civilians, only rivals who try to displace them. “They want to force their way in, coming in killing people, and we fight back. What matters now is to eliminate the other gang,” he said.

As we spoke, local residents, including children, had gathered near the door, but he didn’t see it as a problem. According to data from human rights activists in Ecuador, boys are recruited into the world of crime as early as 12 years old, and by age 15 they can become hitmen for hire.

Jonathan offered no apology for giving weapons to teenagers or for selling cocaine in the neighborhood he claims to protect. He is convinced that drug trafficking is unbreakable.

“I think this business will never end,” he declared. “If they shut us down, another gang emerges, and if they shut that one down, still another comes out.”

He awaits death the way he has lived: with a weapon in hand. “Death is paid with death. But if they come to kill me, I won’t make it easy for them,” he said.

Two nights later, in Durán, we witnessed how gangs settle scores among themselves. A man’s body was visible in the flashing police lights, lying where he had fallen near a motorcycle. Shell casings still covered the ground. Neighbors watched, most in silence.

A man and a woman were hugging and crying — family members of the victim.

Police suspected a retaliatory attack between rival gangs. The forensic team lifted the corpse onto a stretcher and placed it in the refrigerated van, where another body already lay — the violent cycle repeated once again.

A witness agreed to speak, but only on condition of anonymity. “He already had a bullet in his back from before. When he fell, they shot him in the head. They hit him six times, two people on a motorcycle,” he recounted.

“Now we’re used to it, because it happens every day. You could go out and catch a stray bullet. You can’t even go out to talk with friends or family, because someone might shoot you,” he added.

He does not expect the president’s war on gangs to bring any change. “Criminals are like shadows, they appear wherever they want,” he whispered.

Then he disappeared, melting into the warm night air.

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The Fier Prosecution Office has confiscated assets worth approximately 1.8 million euros belonging to citizen Arbër Muça, suspected to originate from the production, sale, and trafficking of narcotic substances and not justified by legal sources.

According to the Prosecution, the asset investigation revealed a significant disproportion between the created wealth and the subject’s legal income.

It was also found that some of the assets were registered in the names of other individuals but were actually controlled by A.M., with the aim of concealing real ownership and the origin of the funds.

Based on the Court’s decision, 8 real estate properties were confiscated (3 land plots, 3 units, 1 apartment, and 1 parking space), 12 vehicles, including a Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, Audi RS Q8, and Audi S8, as well as 6 bank accounts in euros and lekë.

Announcement from the Fier Prosecution Office:

Upon the request of the Fier Prosecution, 1.8 million euros in real estate, luxury vehicles, and bank liquidity belonging to citizen A.M. are confiscated, suspected to originate from the production, sale, and trafficking of narcotic substances.

Upon the request of the Prosecution at the Fier Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction, at the conclusion of the judicial review of asset proceeding No. 3 of 2024, 1.8 million euros in assets of citizen A.M. were confiscated, as they were not justified by legal sources.

During the asset investigation, the Fier Prosecution Office conducted an expanded financial analysis, which revealed the existence of a significant disproportion between the level of wealth created, owned, or administered by the involved subjects and their proven economic capacities from legal sources.

The investigation revealed elements that raised suspicions that certain assets, although formally registered in the names of other persons, were actually controlled or administered by the subjects under investigation, serving to mask the real owner and conceal the origin of the funds used.

At the conclusion of the full review of evidence administered during the investigation and the judicial process, the Prosecution at the Fier Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction assessed that the legal conditions for imposing the preventive measure of confiscation were met, and the Fier Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction decided the confiscation and transfer to the ownership of the Albanian state of the following assets:

Real Estate Assets

Real estate of the unit type, with an area of 200 m², Fier.

Real estate of the land plot type, with an area of 210 m², Fier.

Real estate of the land plot type, with an area of 210 m², Fier.

Real estate of the land plot type, with an area of 210 m², Fier.

Real estate of the unit type (2 floors), with a building area of 625.1 m², Fier.

Real estate of the unit type, with an area of 100 m², in the “Kongresi i Përmetit” neighborhood, Fier.

Real estate of the apartment type (3+1), with a total area of 127.4 m², Tirana.

Real estate of the parking space type, with a total area of 30.14 m², in Tirana.

Confiscated Vehicles and Motor Vehicles

Lamborghini Urus, year of production 2018;

Mercedes-Benz G-63 AMG, year of production 2020;

Audi S8, year of production 2021;

Audi RS-Q8, year of production 2021;

Audi Q7, year of production 2016;

BMW X5, year of production 2014;

BMW X5, year of production 2007;

Volkswagen Touran, year of production 2013;

Mitsubishi L200, year of production 2014;

Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI, year of production 2001;

KIA Carnival, year of production 2000;

Neoplan Bus, year of production 2003.

Confiscated Monetary Value and Bank Accounts

Bank account in Euros, in the name of A.M., with a balance of 51,945.71 Euros.

Bank account in Lekë, in the name of A.M., with a balance of 5,327,769.38 Lekë.

Bank account in Euros, in the name of A.M., with a balance of 1,867.39 Euros.

Bank account in Lekë, in the name of A.M., with a balance of 405,775.82 Lekë.

Bank account in Euros, in the name of E.M., with a balance of 1,039.07 Euros.

Bank account in Lekë, in the name of E.M., with a balance of 6,166.80 Lekë.

The investigation continues regarding the criminal offense of “Laundering the proceeds of criminal offense or criminal activity,” provided for by Article 287 of the Criminal Code, where considerable assets have also been identified.

The Prosecution at the Fier Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction remains committed to the priority implementation of Law No. 10192, dated 03.12.2009 (“anti-mafia law”), intensifying financial and asset investigations with the aim of identifying, seizing, and confiscating assets originating from or linked to criminal activities.

The Fier Prosecution remains determined to intensify the crackdown on criminal assets, using all mechanisms provided by the legislation in force for the identification, seizure, and confiscation of assets of illegal origin.

Depriving perpetrators of the economic benefits of criminal activity remains one of the main priorities of the prosecution body, as an effective tool in the fight against organized crime, laundering of the proceeds of criminal offense, and financial crime.

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