Authorities in Albania, supported by Europol and police forces from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, have dismantled a powerful Albanian organised crime network involved in large-scale cocaine trafficking and money laundering. Ten suspected members were arrested during coordinated raids on August 7–8, 2025.
The action follows a 16-month investigation triggered by the analysis of encrypted communications from the Sky ECC platform, which was dismantled in 2021 but continues to yield actionable intelligence. The network, described as clan-based and operating globally, maintained close ties with other high-risk poly-criminal groups across Europe and Latin America.
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Multi-Million Euro Assets Seized
Authorities executed 15 search warrants in Albania, seizing a tourist resort, villas, apartments, land plots, vehicles, company shares, and over €124,000 (Rs. 1.2 Crores) in cash. The seizures are valued at several million euros, underscoring the immense profits generated from the group’s criminal activities.
The group’s leader, a high-value target, coordinated multi-tonne shipments of cocaine from Latin America to EU ports, including Hamburg and Rotterdam. Investigators revealed that in one shipment alone, his share of the profits exceeded $40 million (Rs. 350 crores). Prior to his arrest, he was wanted in Albania to serve a 21-year sentence for crimes including murder, illegal explosives possession, and obstruction of justice, handed down by an Italian court.
Sky ECC Data Continues to Crack Criminal Codes
This case highlights the long-term operational benefits of the Sky ECC takedown. Europol’s in-depth data analysis provided investigators with a detailed map of the organisation’s hierarchy, enabling targeted arrests. The cooperation between participating countries was facilitated by Europol’s on-the-ground support in Tirana, with mobile office deployment and intelligence sharing.
The Albanian Special Prosecution Office for Anticorruption and Organised Crime (SPAK) led the operation domestically, in partnership with the National Bureau of Investigation and State Police. European partners brought critical investigative resources, making this one of the most significant drug trafficking disruptions in recent years.
