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Operation 'Ura', EUROJUST: Criminal groups trafficked nearly 2 tons of drugs

2025-05-22 09:42:20Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Operation 'Ura', EUROJUST: Criminal groups trafficked nearly 2 tons of
Italian anti-mafia

The major 'Ura' operation indicted 52 people, for whom arrest warrants were issued by the Antimafia of Bari in cooperation with SPAK in Albania, with wiretaps launched since 2016 and intensified investigations in 2020 against 3 Italian and Albanian criminal organizations.

EUROJUST has also reacted to this sensational action   with an official announcement, providing details and results.

The law enforcement agency reveals that since 2018 there have been continuous clashes between the two countries Italy-Albania and in total there are 118 arrest warrants issued for accused and arrested persons, many of whom were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison during the trials and others hit by the action today.

Decryption of SKY ECC conversations traced since 2016 revealed cash payments for drug purchases of up to 5 million euros.

EUROJUST's full announcement:

“With the active assistance of Eurojust, authorities in Italy and Albania have dealt a major blow to three linked organised crime groups (OCGs) involved in large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering. During a day of joint action, arrest warrants were issued against 52 suspects, including individuals believed to be at the highest levels of the OCGs’ hierarchies. Eurojust supported cooperation between Italian and Albanian authorities by setting up a Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

During the day of the operation, authorities in both countries seized assets worth at least several million euros, including apartments and companies, as well as various luxury vehicles. Large amounts of cash and quantities of cocaine and heroin were also seized. A full and complete assessment of the seizures will be made in the coming days.

There is no full estimate of the total profits from the collaboration between the three OCGs. However, information obtained through the JIT indicates that the criminal networks were involved in payments, often in cash, of approximately 5 million euros and the trafficking of at least 1,800 kilograms of cocaine and heroin.

Investigations into the linked criminal organisations were launched in 2016 by the Bari Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption and Organised Crime in Tirana and the Albanian Police. On the Albanian side, an OCG, operating from Durrës, was responsible for the transport and wholesale distribution of large quantities of cocaine, heroin and cannabis trafficked between the Balkans, Northern Europe, South America and Puglia in Italy.

Two criminal gangs led by Italy carried out the cutting and packaging of illegal drugs and supplied cocaine and heroin from Latin America and Turkey to local gangs in organizations in Bari, Brindisi and Lecce.

The arrests in Italy and Albania are the result of long-term cooperation through the JIT. This included the use of wiretaps, intensive video surveillance, monitoring of suspects and analysis of encrypted conversations. These conversations were decrypted after intensive cooperation through Eurojust.

Since 2020, Eurojust has supported the authorities in Italy and Albania with JITs. The Agency has also provided assistance in executing mutual legal assistance requests during the day of action and provided cross-border judicial support. Albania is one of twelve countries outside the European Union with a liaison prosecutor at Eurojust. The investigations were also coordinated and supported by the office of the dedicated security expert at the Italian Embassy in Tirana.

Judicial cooperation between Italy and Albania has already proven effective in recent years. Between 2018 and 2021, the Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate of Bari issued and executed 118 arrest warrants against suspected drug traffickers operating in both countries. As a result, various defendants were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

This week's operation was carried out at the request of and by the following authorities:

Italy: Bari Public Prosecutor's Office - Anti-Mafia District Directorate; Bari Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate, under the coordination of the National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Directorate of Roma, with the support of the Security Expert Office at the Italian Embassy in Tirana.

Albania: Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) of Tirana; Albanian Police".


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