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Journalist Klodiana Lala has revealed details from the State Police operation, which led to the arrest of several officials and former police officials, linked to a structured criminal group in the areas of Saranda and Gjirokastra.
Lala said that investigations have revealed that cannabis trafficking and money laundering through investments in real estate, mainly in southern Albania, are the main activities of this criminal group.
On the show 'The Unexposed', she emphasized that the prosecution has secured strong evidence through Sky EÇ wiretaps and that some police officers have collaborated with criminals, offering them support in exchange for large payments.
"Members of the State Police, who have been arrested as part of a structured criminal group based in the Saranda and Gjirokastra area, including a former official who was an officer of the special operational force, have been detained.
Another person, Erdit Hazizaj, a former special operations force officer and candidate for mayor of Roskovec for the "Together We Win" coalition, has been declared wanted.
This person is the first to be arrested as a key member of the criminal group led by Kristo Qirici and Eldian Allushaj, two well-known individuals in the criminal world in Saranda. They are in strong conflict with the family of Aleksandër Sadikaj, who was executed in 2022 with a remote-controlled explosion near TEG.
Also arrested were Shkëlzen Ruska, the crime boss in Himara, and Ervis Ali Sinanaj, the crime boss in Lushnje, while Elvis Dervishi, the border police chief in Himara, has been declared wanted.
All of these officials and former state police officials worked during the period when the criminal offenses were allegedly committed in the Saranda and Gjirokastra districts, and according to the investigations so far by the special prosecution, they result as active members of the criminal group led by Kristo Qirici.
For the public's clarification, Kristo Qirici is the brother of Edmond Papa, a well-known businessman and owner of a luxury hotel in Saranda, Blu Sky. Edmond Papa was executed in December 2022, in revenge for the murder of Aleksandër Sadikaj, known by the pseudonym Sanço.
For this criminal group, the investigations began at two main points. Initially, Sky EÇ intercepts were used, which were made available to the Albanian authorities by the French side.
It is suspected that the group's main activity was the trafficking of narcotics, mainly cannabis sativa, which was cultivated in closed environments with the support and favoritism of the state police, ensuring their cooperation.
An investigation launched by the State Police has revealed that money gained from drug trafficking, especially from the cultivation and sale of cannabis, was invested in real estate, such as hotels and resorts, mainly in the southern area of Albania.
The four police officers involved, as I mentioned, used the Sky EÇ app. An interesting moment in the investigation is their identification by the special prosecution, as they sent accurate and clear data, making identification easy.
For example, one of the officers, Shkelzen Ruska, asked for Kristo Qiric's help to send his father to the hospital, after he had contracted COVID-19 and later died. The prosecution verified this conversation and obtained the list of hospitalized patients, which showed that Ruska's father was one of those hospitalized and died in the hospital. Kristo Qiric sent a message of condolence to the police officer.
In addition, members of the structured criminal group have sent video footage, showing members of the group in premises where cannabis was cultivated. They have sent this footage to ensure the progress of the traffic, and then the prosecution has verified it. These premises, which turn out to be owned by Eldian Allushaj, have been identified as part of the criminal group's activity.
A key part of this investigation is Erdit Hazizaj, who ran for mayor of Roskovec, and although he did not win, he was arrested and was in direct contact with Kristo Qiric, who asked for his help to avoid police checks.
At one point, he expressed concern about the arrest of several people by the Greek authorities, discussing what they should do in this specific case. Kristo Qirici told him to hope that the arrested people would not have much information and discussed various amounts of money, which could reach up to 40 thousand euros as payment to police officers.
There have been cases where drug trafficking has not only been carried out by Albanian citizens, but also by foreign citizens, such as Bosnians, Italians and others, who have been arrested.
"Greek authorities have had increased concerns regarding this criminal group, while the police officers involved have gone so far as to erase traces, thus enabling criminal activities to continue until the authorities managed to secure the Sky EÇ wiretaps and other evidence, which fully exposed this criminal group," said Lala.
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