Europol Dismantles Albanian Organized Crime Network

The operation, carried out on 7 and 8 August, was coordinated by Albanian law enforcement authorities in cooperation with partners from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, with the support of Europol.

Investigations revealed that the network had links to high-risk criminal groups across the European Union and beyond.

Searches led to the seizure of hotels, villas, apartments, land plots, vehicles, and company shares worth several million euros. Authorities also confiscated more than €100,000 in cash and other currencies.

The gang leader, already wanted for multiple crimes, including murder and money laundering, allegedly coordinated the transport of large quantities of cocaine from Latin America to EU ports, with a single shipment generating more than $40 million.

Europol provided crucial support during the operation, assisting with data analysis, facilitating international cooperation, deploying experts to Tirana, and enabling real-time information exchange between the countries involved.