The dark past of "Ben Qimes", how did he become the main supplier of cocaine for Aldo Bare's gang?

The show "Në Shënjestër" on News24 has shed light on the well-known criminal underworld figure, Arben Isufaj, otherwise known by the nickname "Ben Qimja", shedding light on his dark past and his rise to the top of the criminal underworld.

To go back in time, immediately after his father's execution, Arben Isufaj left Albania and was not seen again in the city of Fier from 1994 to 1998.

At this time he is thought to have fled to Spain and then to the Netherlands and Italy.

Here he seems to have established strong connections in cocaine trafficking, where he also became the main supplier to Aldo Bare's gang in Italy, as revealed by wiretaps.

Italian authorities requested his extradition on charges of drug trafficking and criminal group.

An extradition that was not actually finalized, as once again Arben Isufaj managed to evade Italian justice through strong connections in the ranks of the judiciary.

"Arben Isufaj, in collaboration with 3 other people, imported a quantity of 3.5 kg of cocaine from the Netherlands.

The event occurred on December 11, 2004 in Melegnano.

On February 18, 2005, Arben Isufaj, with the intention of distributing 3 kg of cocaine, brought from the Netherlands, which he handed over for transportation to citizen AG.

On March 27, 2005, Arben Isufaj in collaboration with A. L transported and distributed 5.8 kg of cocaine.

While on April 20 and 21, 2005, in collaboration with two other persons, he possessed, with the intention of distributing, transporting and importing, a quantity of cocaine of 2,994 grams.

Another episode is also the one dated August 25, 2005, where in collaboration with another person, he would transport 1 kilogram of cocaine.

But while he was spreading his tentacles and earning public money, Arben Isufaj was also showing his strength and building the myth of untouchability day after day. This also refers to the incident that occurred on May 12, 2007, where he threatened with a gun the police officers who tried to escort a family member of his who had built an illegal building.

"From the main entrance of the building under construction, a person comes with a 'Berretë' type pistol in his hand and at this moment one of the people said that 'you can't accompany him because Ben 'Qimja' has arrived.' This person, after pointing the pistol at the police officer, threatened him, 'let him go or I'll throw your guts on the ground' and at the same time cursed."

Such episodes testify to a rich criminal record, to which other suspicions of murder would be added, such as the execution of 57-year-old businessman Demir Backa, in October 2021, owner of the 'Piazza' bar in the city center.

He was shot with a Kalashnikov at around 8:40 PM this evening near the former QTU in this city, while he was in his 'Audi' car by a 'Benz' vehicle.

The perpetrators' car, which was found burned a few minutes after the incident, in the village of Daullas, where one of the people called to testify, as one of the main suspects, was Arben Isufaj.

Arben Isufaj, but also other crime bosses in Fier, who were fighting for territory, also divided the socialist majority. As was this statement in 2021 by the socialist MP for Fier, Petro Koçi, who spoke about criminal groups and individuals in this city that were being treated with public funds.

"The effects of SPAK and the Justice Reform are yielding results. The criminal world and the corrupt have begun to fear the law. We welcome these effects in Fier as well, where the hands of crime have also reached into public finances."

Protagonists of drug trafficking and violence have already legalized business entities that win public tenders. They achieve this either through direct connections with some institutional head, or through certain officials who execute procurements, as well as through the elimination of competitors in the tendering process by threatening the owners of the business entities.

A statement that was actually not so baseless if you look at the funds that Arben Isufaj's character has benefited from in these years. Not only public funds but also European Union funds, such as IPARD funds for farmers, where he has benefited from these funds a full 294 thousand euros for the construction of a greenhouse in the village of Dërmenas in Fier.

Measure: 1. “Investments in physical assets of agricultural farms”

Sector: M1 – Fruit and Vegetables

Location: Radostine, Dermenas, Fier

Investment value: 453,817.19 Euros

Percentage of support: 60%

Grant Value: 292,144.50 Euros

But Arben Isufaj, or known as Ben 'Qimja', has not only put an end to politics but also to the police and justice system.

Arben Isufaj, according to SPAK, appears to have won numerous tenders in the state oil company, a wealthy area like Fier.

But even though he was a wanted person in the Italian state for drug trafficking, the documents of the wealth investigation into him show that through the companies he indirectly controlled, he was able to win numerous tenders in the state oil company.