Another arrest of an internationally wanted citizen was carried out by the Directorate of the Special Operational Force within the framework of the operation codenamed "Operation 28".
Over the last 24 hours, Ilir Zotaj, alias Zio Bushi, a 44-year-old from Tirana, who was declared internationally wanted by Italian authorities, was located, captured and provisionally arrested.
Zotaj was sentenced by the Court of Appeal of Perugia in Italy to 5 years, 6 months and 17 days in prison for the criminal offenses of “Criminal Organization” and “Drug Trafficking”, provided for by the Italian Criminal Code. He is suspected of having been part of an Albanian criminal organization that organized and financed the trafficking of narcotics, mainly cocaine, from Belgium to Italy, during the period 2008-2010.
During this period, approximately 10.4 kg of cocaine trafficked by this organization were seized. Currently, Interpol Tirana is cooperating with Interpol Rome to complete the extradition procedure for Zotaj to Italy.