What is "Hawala", the network that businessman Nexhmedin Danaj used to circulate money from Dubai-Italy and to Albania?

"A criminal network with international reach and a businessman known for his luxurious life and his 'legal' activities."

This is the picture that the latest investigations by SPAK and international partners are revealing in the case of Nexhmedin Danaj, the businessman from Vlora suspected of leading a giant money laundering and drug trafficking scheme.

At the heart of this scheme is a mechanism known as "Hawala," a traditional system that has been used for centuries in the Middle East and South Asia to transfer money without any banking trace.

But today, Hawala has become one of the most powerful weapons of international organized crime, and Danaj had transformed it into a sophisticated channel for the circulation of millions of euros from Dubai to Italy and Albania.

What is Hawala?

Hawala is an alternative financial system that operates on the basis of trust. The money does not physically move. A person hands over an amount to a local agent (called a hawaladar), who then informs a colleague in another country to deliver the same amount to the recipient.

This transaction does not go through banks and leaves no trace.

In countries where the banking system is weak or where official controls need to be avoided, as in the case of criminal networks, Hawala is ideal.

Invisible, fast and virtually untraceable to the original source of funds.

Danaj's Network: From Vlora to Dubai

According to the SPAK file and investigations conducted in cooperation with Italian and Spanish authorities, Nexhmedin Danaj led a scheme involving dozens of people and companies, through which around 65 million euros profited from cocaine trafficking circulated.

His wife, Algerta Fejzulla, played a key role in managing and representing the businesses involved.

The money was used to purchase properties, businesses, luxury cars, and expensive goods, which then served as a "cover" for the real sources of income.

Companies that hide money laundering

Some of the businesses suspected of being part of this network include:

- “Dubai Inn” and “Vlora Cable” in Albania, seized by SPAK.

- “General Trading LLC” in Dubai, with high financial turnover.

- Import-export, hotel and tourism companies that served as a bridge for fictitious transfers of goods and services.

The Hawala system was used to move funds from Dubai to Spain, where the criminal organization purchased drugs, which were then distributed in Europe.

Profits were funneled into Albania through visible and legal investments in local companies.

International operation and arrests

In September 2023, a joint operation between Europol, the Guardia di Finanza, the Spanish police, as well as SPAK and BKH in Albania, led to the arrest of 27 people and the seizure of millions of euros, including:

- 615 thousand euros in cash

- Luxury vehicles and expensive brand watches

- Real estate in Albania, Italy and Spain.

In total, 52 arrest warrants have been issued, and the investigation continues in several states.

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