After continuous denunciations by JOQ ALBANIA about the online platforms "TXEX" and "XUEX" (otherwise known as XEUX), a few days ago, the Police and the Fier Prosecution Office cracked down on these online pyramid schemes, finalizing the operation with the arrest of 6 people and the announcement of a wanted list for 2 others.
The platforms were presented as cryptocurrency investment applications, and had gone viral on social networks, mainly on Telegram.
According to official sources, more than 6,000 citizens are suspected of having fallen prey to this scheme, investing significant amounts of money.
Advertisements for these platforms were also openly distributed in public spaces, specifically in the bar-restaurant "La Bonta" at the entrance to the city of Lushnja, on "Shëtitorja e Palmave" street, owned by Arbër Çela, who was arrested as part of this scheme.
One advertisement read " EG Group Investment XUEX " One Time Investment = Lifetime Benefits ".
Also, the other ad read " EG Group Investment XUEX" Long-term investment project, Teamwork, Trading signals, Many rewards ."
The investigations intensified after the infiltration of police agents, who appeared at the bar on August 27, 2025.
They contacted waiter Emanuel Taullau , 21, who, unaware that he was facing officers, explained in detail how the platform worked and how they could become part of it.
He told them the minimum deposit was $1,000, and offered to help them register himself.
Taullau also mentioned a "professor", whom he described as the main organizer of the platform, a person who turned out to be Arbër Çela , the owner of the bar, joq writes .
The next day, on August 28, the agents returned to the premises, where Taullau introduced them to another employee, Flavio Mukaj, 23, whose role was to introduce investors to the relevant Telegram groups and instruct them on opening accounts on Binance.
The agents were then assisted in transferring the funds to the XUEX platform. The entire procedure, including audio and video recordings, was documented by the agents.
The $1,000 transaction was carried out in a simulated manner, with $100 taken from Mukaj's account, and then Taullau transferred the money to the fraudulent platform on behalf of the infiltrated agent.
Taullau, 21, and Mukaj, 23, have both been arrested. During the operation, police seized 50 cell phones, 11 computers, hard drives, DVRs, a car, and significant amounts of cash.
Investigators discovered the group's base, in this bar in the Lushnja area owned by Arbër Çela, while the fake investment fraud trail had affected hundreds of people.
According to data from the Divjaka Municipality, around 580 people have registered on this platform, who have invested between $1,000 and $5,000.
Among them are public administration employees, who have lost large sums of money.