
SPAK gives details of the action where 5 security measures were issued in relation to a criminal group that trafficked citizens to the USA and Canada.
A criminal group that helped Albanian citizens cross the border illegally through forged documents, with the final destination of the United States of America, has been hit by SPAK in cooperation with the American authorities.
The Special Prosecutor's Office revealed the scheme that the criminal group used to listen to the Albanians in the USA against the profit ranging from 20 thousand dollars to 45 thousand dollars. The whole procedure was carried out within 15-20 days.
"This criminal activity is suspected to be well organized at the transnational level, as the illegal passage to the USA turns out to have been carried out through the countries of Albania-Italy-Spain-Mexico-USA", says the SPAK announcement.
Also, 5 people have been identified as part of the group, among them were two police officers from the border crossing point Hani i Hoti, who were passing Albanians with false documents and without registering them in TIMS.
According to SPAK, the citizen Luc Melaj was placed under the "prison arrest" measure , while the "house arrest" measure was given to the citizens Emanuel Melaj, Gezin Camaj, Tonin Melaj and Bashkim Cokaj . These last two are officials at the border crossing point in Hani i Hotit, with the duties of assistant specialist, second line controller at Hani i Hotit BCP and shift manager at Hani i Hotit BCP. They are accused of the criminal offense "Abuse of duty".
SPAK notice:
The Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime has carried out investigations within the framework of criminal proceedings no. 135, of 2023, for the criminal offenses "Aiding for illegal crossing of borders", carried out in the form of special cooperation of the structured group. criminal, "Forgery of identity cards, passports and visas", carried out in the form of special cooperation of the structured criminal group, "Structured criminal group" and "Commitment of criminal offenses by the criminal organization and the structured criminal group", provided from articles 298/1 and 28/4, 189/1 and 28/4, as well as 333/a/2 and 334/1 of the Criminal Code, as well as "Assistance for illegal border crossing", carried out in cooperation, " Exercising illegal influence on persons exercising public functions" and "Abuse of duty", provided by articles 298/3, 245/1/1 and 248 of the Criminal Code.
The investigations of this criminal proceeding were carried out in close cooperation with the National Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Agency, the Diplomatic Security Service, the Office of Criminal Investigation outside the USA with a presence at the Embassy of the United States in Tirana, the General Directorate of the Police of State, the Special Unit "Common Shield" as well as with the Shkodër Local Police Directorate.
From the data of the investigations so far, the existence of a criminal group has been proven, which has organized the provision of assistance for illegal crossing of the border to some Albanian citizens, through forged documentation, with the final destination of the United States of America. This criminal activity is suspected to be well organized at the transnational level, as the illegal passage to the USA turns out to have been carried out through the countries Albania-Italy-Spain-Mexico-USA.
The modus operandi followed by the persons involved in this criminal activity initially consists in establishing contact between the persons interested in fleeing to the USA and the person under LM investigation, who, with the aim of crossing the border illegally, carried out, in cooperation with other citizens, actions such as: quickly producing forged identification documents, cutting travel tickets, equipping with new mobile devices and telephone numbers according to the countries where the trip is carried out, etc.
Citizens interested in fleeing to the USA crossed the Albanian border with their Albanian passport and at the airports of Spain from where the transit to Mexico and on to the USA was carried out, they were met by other citizens involved in this criminal activity, who provide them with a forged identification document. All this activity was carried out for no more than 15-20 days and each person paid an amount from 20,000 (twenty thousand) USD to 45,000 (forty five thousand) USD.
Also, in the framework of the actions and verifications carried out by the investigators of the National Bureau of Investigation and the officers of the Shkodër Local Police Directorate, another illegal activity was found at the Border Crossing Points of the Republic of Albania with Montenegro, from the side of the border police officers of the Albania-Montenegro PKK. This illegal activity consisted in non-registration in the PKK systems of Albanian citizens, who for reasons such as: exceeding the period of stay in EU countries; prohibition of entry into various countries due to penalties; or in cases where the citizens are asylum seekers in different countries, etc., they sought to illegally avoid the registration of crossing the border.
After carrying out the necessary investigative actions, analyzing the evidence collected up to this stage of the investigation, the Special Prosecutor's Office submitted to the Special Court the request for the appointment of security measures against persons suspected of committing the criminal offenses described above.
The Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime with its decision no. 81, dated 21.07.2024, has decided the assignment of coercive personal security measures "prison arrest", provided by Article 238 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for the person under LM investigation and the security measure "house arrest", provided by article 237 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for persons under investigation TM, B.Ç, EM and GC
On the part of the structures of the General Directorate of the State Police, the execution of all personal security measures was carried out and checks were carried out, where items were seized that served to commit the criminal offense or items that constitute the product of the criminal offense, such as : the sum of approximately 8,000 Euros, 600,000 (six hundred thousand) Lek, 3,000 (three thousand) USD, 240 (two hundred and forty) Canadian dollars, 17 mobile devices, 3 vehicles, USB, bank documents and travel documents of interest to the investigation .
We thank all the institutions and structures involved in this investigation for their cooperation!
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