"Anti-drugs also hit the police", the US trusts citizens more than institutions

The Embassy of the United States of America in Tirana has reacted one day after the anti-drug operation carried out by the Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate of Bari and SPAK, with the assistance of Interpol, the National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Directorate of Rome, where 52 arrest warrants were issued for international drug trafficking, money laundering and abuse of office.

 The US Embassy has called on Albanian citizens to directly notify the DEA if they have information about drug trafficking, taking SPAK "out of the game".

This decision may have been influenced by the high number of police officers who have been arrested for their service to drug trafficking gangs and structured criminal groups.

Only in the last operation led by the Italian anti-mafia, 2 police officers were involved.

Message:

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s tipline is active. The DEA encourages anyone with information regarding drug trafficking or drug money laundering to share the information with DEA ​​personnel on WhatsApp at: +1 571 502-7846 or by email at: [email protected]. All information will be kept confidential. Our thanks to all those individuals who have submitted credible information that has supported DEA operations. The United States is committed to working with Albania to combat drug trafficking and related money laundering, to protect the citizens of both our countries and to prevent the entry of illegal drugs into the United States.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration's Tip Line for Albania is active. The DEA encourages anyone with information about drug trafficking or the laundering of drug proceeds to share information with DEA ​​personnel on WhatsApp at: +1 571 502-7846 or by email at: [email protected]. All information will be kept confidential. Our thanks to those individuals who have submitted credible tips that have supported DEA operations. The United States is committed to working with Albania to combat drug trafficking and related money laundering, in order to protect the citizens of both our countries and prevent the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.

We recall that the Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate of Bari and the Albanian Authorities, with the assistance of Interpol, the Security Expert Office of Tirana and the Albanian Police, as part of a Joint Investigation Team, have issued, with instructions from the Anti-Mafia District Directorate of Bari and the Special Prosecutor's Office for Corruption and Organized Crime of Tirana, 52 arrest warrants for international trafficking of large quantities of narcotics, money laundering and abuse of office.

The measures issued within the framework of the URA operation in light of the investigations carried out by the DIA of Bari between September 2021 and June 2022, have allowed the collection of evidence against suspects, Albanian and Italian, belonging in Italy to two criminal associations based in Puglia and in Albania, part of a powerful organized criminal group based in Durrës.

The DIA, in relation to the large quantities of heroin and cocaine moved, starting in 2016, between the Balkans, Northern Europe, South America and Puglia, has documented the existence of a community of interests between the criminal group in Albania, responsible - at a transnational level - for the trafficking and transfer of drugs, and two criminal associations operating in Bari, which, in turn, carried out the operations of "cutting" and packaging in blocks, supplying in bulk to organizations in Bari, Brindisi and Lecce interested in obtaining heroin and cocaine - of quality - coming respectively from Turkey and Latin America.

While speaking about the mega-operation "Bridge", within the framework of which 52 arrest warrants were issued, SPAK head Altin Dumani was asked why this movement took place after the May 11 elections.

Embarrassed by the question, Dumani said that the date of the operation has nothing to do with the elections, but with the agreement reached between the Albanian and Italian authorities.

"It has nothing to do with the elections, we act as a team and we agree on the date together. We are conditioned by each other regarding the dynamics of the investigation, the decision by the court and the preparation for the execution of security measures. It is an international operation, it is not only taking place in Albania, but also in other countries, where even now as we speak, efforts are being made to locate and capture members of the group. So what is certain is a date agreed with the Italian police and Eurojust ," said Dumani.