Shkodra MP abandons SP, receives death threats: If Bajra touches my family, I will destroy them!

A few days after leaving the Socialist Party and running as an independent MP, Shkodra MP Marjana Koçeku has published a strong denunciation, implying that she is being threatened with her family's life by the Bajrat criminal group. 

On social media, she writes a direct message to Bajra, warning them not to approach her family and openly threatening them with revenge. 

"This message is addressed to the Bajrajs of Shkodra. If my family is affected, even a single hair, I will not leave you without destroying you, as long as I have life," writes Koçek. 

Who is the Bajra criminal group in Shkodra? The history and activity of one of the most talked about groups in the north

The group known as “Bajrat” is considered one of the most notorious criminal organizations to have operated in Shkodra over the past two decades. Its name is associated with the Bajri family, which has been at the center of numerous criminal investigations and trials for charges ranging from murder, drug trafficking, extortion, illegal possession of weapons, and other organized crime activities.

The group's origins are linked to various neighborhoods in the city of Shkodra, where during the 2000s the Bajri family began to be mentioned more and more frequently in police reports and in the dark chronicle. Over the years, Albanian authorities and international partners have raised suspicions that the group had created a network of influence and cooperation with individuals involved in criminal activities at home and abroad.

The name of Bajra became particularly well-known after a series of serious criminal events that shook Shkodra. Clashes between rival groups, assassinations and sensational murders in the city have often been linked by investigators to the conflicts of the criminal world, where in some cases members or people close to this group have also been mentioned.

One of the largest operations against the group took place in 2018, when Albanian authorities, in cooperation with international partners, carried out extensive actions that led to the arrest of several individuals suspected of being part of the organization. Investigations at the time raised charges of creating a structured criminal group, murder, hostage-taking and other illegal activities.

However, a number of court cases involving the group have gone through various stages of investigation and trial, with some defendants convicted, while others have been acquitted or granted lighter security measures. For this reason, not all charges filed over the years have resulted in final decisions.

According to law enforcement authorities, the Bajri group has been part of the map of criminal groups that have exerted influence in the Shkodra area and beyond. Its activity has been investigated in several important criminal files, while the name of the Bajri family continues to appear from time to time in the developments of the black chronicle and in operations against organized crime.

In addition to accusations of criminal activities, the name of the Bajra group has also been mentioned over the years in political debates, where opposition representatives have raised allegations of connections between certain individuals and exponents of the Socialist Party.

These accusations have become part of political clashes and have been frequently used in electoral campaigns and public statements. On the other hand, the Socialist Party has consistently denied the existence of any connection or support for persons involved in criminal activity. To this day, allegations of political connections have remained the subject of accusations and counter-accusations in the political arena, while individual criminal responsibilities are dealt with by the justice system on the basis of evidence and court decisions.