Albanian organized drug trafficking crackdowns

Law enforcement operations targeting organized drug trafficking networks involving Albanian nationals have resulted in several high-profile arrests across Europe and Albania.

In Belgium, Jasin Kala, an Albanian national known as ‘Cinja’, was arrested as part of the international ‘The Wanted’ operation. Suspected of participating in a criminal group that produces and traffics large quantities of narcotics and engages in money laundering, Kala is currently facing extradition to Albania. This arrest coincided with a Belgian police crackdown in Antwerp, where eight individuals were detained for their roles in a cocaine trafficking ring linking Albania and Latin America to European and Australian markets.

Concurrently, Albanian authorities conducted a major operation codenamed ‘Muri i Lartë’ (High Wall) under the direction of SPAK. This operation, which included raids in Shkodër and Tirana, led to the arrest of Bledar Cafi, a man with a prior conviction in Italy for large-scale drug trafficking. While Cafi was apprehended, an arrest warrant was issued for Indrit Dokle, who evaded police during searches. The investigation, linked to the Rraja group, has resulted in 17 individuals being subject to security measures.