FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Who is hiding behind the ubiquitous sports betting shops?
After many successive concessions, the police seem to have been forced to arrest Lendi Palaj, the 'head' of the '333' and 'CR7' betting shops.
The arrest came after a fight that took place on June 10 at "Ali Dem", where shots were fired. Palaj had a conflict with several other people and his armed friend and right-hand man, Xhoi Çupi, pulled out a gun and fired into the air.
His arrest took place last night, but was passed over in silence. Although the police sent the notification with initials, it is learned that Njulend Palaj, known for short as Lendi, was arrested.
" The Crime Investigation Specialists of Police Station No. 1 in cooperation with Police Station No. 3 detained the wanted citizen Uj. P., 28 years old, after the Tirana Court assigned him the security measure "Arrest in prison", for the criminal offenses of ''Illegal possession and production of explosive weapons and ammunition'', ''Unlicensed production and possession, purchase or sale of cold weapons'' and ''Threats''. This citizen was declared wanted on 10.06.2025, as a suspect involved in a conflict on "Ali Demi " street, the police announcement said.
But now justice will be put to the test in the face of the betting mafia. According to sources, Palaj is using all the maneuvers to get out of the cell and we will see how strong justice will be in the face of the betting mafia.
At first glance, Palaj does not appear in the business lists, does not result in companies registered in the Central Bank, and if you search for him in the pages of the chronicle, you may not find any trace. But he is considered the "brain" of the bars that have opened in Tirana, '333' and 'CR7'. In fact, they are bars where sports betting is rampant, although prohibited by law.
But how did this relatively unknown name become powerful? The report shows that it all started during the 2021 parliamentary elections, when Palaj was involved in the vote-gathering process in Ali Demi's area, working on behalf of Tom Doshi's PSD. There, he established connections with key figures who administered the electoral network on the ground and, after the elections were over, these acquaintances opened the doors for him to later deal with gambling in a structured way. It is further stated that people close to Tom Doshi and Çim Babasi themselves supported him financially and provided him with a "security umbrella", enabling Palaj to set up a sophisticated betting network.
In an organized form, the network counts 25 to 30 locations spread across the capital, each equipped with online platforms, centralized VPNs and cash or cryptocurrency payment options. On the outside, they look like ordinary cafes, or registered as “Tobacco shop/gaming corner”, but in reality, millions of illegal betting money circulate there. Sources for “ Pamphlet ” say that currently you will not find a “betting” logo or sign, but it is enough to know the “right” person to log into the system.
According to our sources, there is a parallel investigation by SPAK and BKH, who are tracking the assets of Tom Doshi, who threw millions into the elections. It seems that this will be the next test of justice, to get to those hiding behind Palaj./ Pamphlet
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