BIRN: SPAK's action brings to light the dark links between politics and organized crime

Over the weekend, the Special Prosecutor's Office Against Organized Crime and Corruption (SPAK) launched a large-scale operation by issuing 50 arrest warrants against the country's leading exponents of organized crime.

SPAK's investigation against 7 criminal organizations based on encrypted Sky ECC and EncroChat application data has not only revealed 18 criminal episodes - ranging from murder to assisting illegal border crossing, but has made visible and has the connections between criminal groups and politics in Albania were also proven.

The data made public by this SPAK investigation show that three deputies of the Socialist Party, of which two from the past legislatures and one from the current legislature, had family members or were directly involved in criminal activities as part of crime structures organized.

According to experts, these data are evidence of strong links between organized crime and politics in Albania, which have been rooted for decades.

"Politics and crime have existed for decades in the ugliest symbiosis in our country - one side fed the other and both together fed on the backs of Albanians," said Redion Qiriazi, a security expert with 15 years of experience in the study of crime organized.

Meanwhile, Arjan Dyrmishi, executive director of the Center for the Study of Democracy and Governance, told BIRN that the connections between crime and politics in Albania are not accidental, but a proactive investment by organized crime organizations to "ensure protection against strikes or punishments as easier".

Dyrmishi emphasized that precisely because of this investment and the strong ties between crime and politics, even the success of justice is still in question.

"The separation of crime from politics, administration and economy has to be a long-term operation and I think that despite all the positive progress so far, the success of this operation is not yet guaranteed", he said.

SPAK operation

On Saturday, May 18, SPAK announced the closure of one of the largest operations against organized crime in the country. According to the press release, 7 criminal groups distributed almost throughout the country were hit, while charges were brought against 50 people.

Arben Ndoka, the former deputy of the Socialist Party who was declared wanted, and a long list of his associates and enemies, including well-known figures of the world of crime, such as Astrit Avdyli, Gjergj Culkali, Emiljano Shullazi, Endrit Dokle, were charged. and others.

“Operacioni i drejtuar nga SPAK dhe i rënë dakord me Europol më datë 17 maj 2024,  zgjati për rreth 20 orë, ku u angazhuan afërsisht 30 hetues të BKH-së, forcat RENEA, Policia e Shtetit, si dhe Europol i cili caktoi një Oficer pranë SPAK për të mbështetur këtë Operacion. U kryen veprime hetimore në qytetet e Tiranës, Durrësit, Vlorës, Shkodrës, Lezhës, Rrëshenit, Kurbinit, Fushë-Krujës dhe Krujës. Gjatë këtyre veprimeve hetimore u ushtruan kontrolle në rreth 50 ambiente banimi,” bëri të ditur SPAK në një njoftim zyrtar.

SPAK njoftoi sekuestrimin e pasurive me vlerë rreth 4.5 milionë euro, përfshirë gati 1 milionë euro në para të thata, orë me vlerë rreth gjysmë milion euro apo gjysmë milion euro të tjera automjete, pesë prej të cilave ishin të blinduara. Katërmbëdhjetë persona u arrestuan në Shqipëri gjatë operacionit, ndërsa gjashtë të tjerë u arrestuan në Itali, Gjermani, Spanjë dhe Belgjikë.

SPAK bëri të ditur se zbardhi 18 episode kriminale, përfshirë vrasje, tentativa për vrasje, bomba, kultivim apo trafikim droge e të tjera. Goditja u bë e mundur falë informacioneve të siguruara prej autoriteteve franceze nga aplikacionet Sky ECC dhe EncroChat, dy aplikacione celularësh që besohej se ofronin komunikim të sigurt dhe që ishin popullore për figurat e krimit të organizuar.

Për ekspertët e sigurisë operacioni është një hap i suksesshëm, që do sjellë rritje të besimit te drejtësia, por që duhet të shihet vetëm si një hap i parë.

“Arrestimet e fundit padyshim dëshmojnë për një rritje të efektshmërisë dhe efikasitetit të SPAK në luftën kundër krimit të organizuar dhe korrupsionit në vend”, tha Redion Qirjazi.

Arjan Dyrmishi theksoi se operacioni duket se dëshmon një ndryshim në mënyrën se si po zhvillohen hetimet. Sipas tij ka një ndryshim me hetimet e cekëta të mëparshme që ndalonin te përsonat e kapyr në flagrancë dhe nuk shkonin te organizatorët e lehtësuesit.

“Shumë rrallë hetimet mund të jenë shtrirë për të përfshirë dhe personat lehtësues që formojnë miksin e lartëpërmendur”, tha ai ndër të tjera.

Nga ana e tij eksperti i sigurisë Pëllumb Nako, oficer i Policisë së Shtetit në pension, shprehet se ky operacion është vetëm një hap i parë, por sheh me optimizëm faktin që hetimet nuk u ndërprenë kur u arrit te emra politikanësh.

“Kjo sepse më parë hetimet në këtë drejtim ose janë ndërprerë fare ose dhe nuk janë thelluar duke rezultuar të pjesshëm pa u shkuar deri në sekuestrime pasurish e akte të tjera”, thotë ai.

Tentakula të shtrira

Për Pëllumb Nakon aksioni i SPAK dëshmon për lidhje të forta mes krimit dhe politikës. Këto lidhje sipas tij ishin të perceptuara dhe të përmendura në media, por mohoheshin nga klasa politike.

But he is concerned about the extent of this connection and the infiltration of state structures by criminal organizations. According to him, SPAK proved the extent of organized crime, which includes individuals who entered parliament as politicians, local authorities, so-called strategic investors and employees of various levels of the police.

Nako said that this situation has brought an ever stronger organized crime, which, among other things, has gotten its hands on public funds.

"All connected in the group and in cooperation between groups and with strong finances that guarantee inviolability from the justice bodies, political and legal protection to then carry out public investments through public funds", he emphasized.

Nako added that beyond the operation, the situation is serious, while dirty money endangers the country's economy.

"Money laundering in our country, making it clear how alarming it is for the economy and for the Albanian society itself," said the former senior police officer.

For experts, the deep connections between crime and politics have been obvious for a long time. Qirjazi mentions that the same criminal organizations hit in these operations were earlier part of electoral campaigns and collected votes for political parties and in turn gained access to public funds.

"These two are opposite sides of the same coin. It is enough to mention here the interference of criminal groups in electoral campaigns, the hidden financing of political parties, tenders won by people with criminal charges, as well as politicians and local leaders convicted of corruption or ties to criminal structures, and anyone can understand that crime and politics have been inseparable partners," he said.

For Dyrmish, politics is also to blame for the access that organized crime has gained in the state police. He emphasized that the police has been under the financial and corrupting pressure of these criminal structures from the beginning and that "in the absence of an effective accountability system and frequent political interventions, it has not been difficult for organized crime to extend its influence in this sector as well". Reporter.al