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Summary trial accepted for 12 members of drug gang led by "Baron of Red Field", Gëzim Çela

Politiko 2025-04-09 16:06:19

Summary trial accepted for 12 members of drug gang led by "Baron of Red

The Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime (SCOC) has accepted the request for summary trial for 12 members of the drug trafficking group arrested in the framework of the operation codenamed “Flame at Sea”. At the center of this group was Gëzim Çela from Fushë Kuqe e Kurbinit, otherwise known as the “Drug Baron”.

In today's session, the GJKKO decided to accept the request for expedited proceedings for all defendants, while the next session is scheduled for April 23, where the Special Prosecution Office (SPAK) will read the final conclusions.

The defendants for whom the summary trial was accepted are:
Gëzim Çela, his cousin Nerim Çela, former State Police employee Arlind Ismailukaj, Armando Mema, Besnik Brokeri from Vlora, former head of the Kurbin Police Station Dritan Metaj, Alket Deda, Selami Lushkaj, Ksenofon Bodo, Armando Papa and two Ukrainian citizens Kyrylo Ponomarenko and Kostiantyn Biellon.

This criminal group was hit in several stages by the authorities, while in August last year, an attempt to smuggle drugs from the Patoku Valley to Italy, using a sailboat, was discovered. It is suspected that the group had planned an exchange on the high seas between cannabis and cocaine, with a suspected amount of 1 ton of cannabis, which was burned by the traffickers at the moment of police intervention.

At that stage, Nerim Çela, Arlind Ismailukaj, Armando Mema, Besnik Brokeri and the two Ukrainian couriers were arrested. On October 9, SPAK issued four more arrest warrants, including one for the former head of the Kurbin Commissariat, Dritan Metaj, as well as for Gëzim Çela, who was arrested in Kosovo. Arben Dalipaj from Vlora and Roland Guzo from Durrës were also declared wanted.

Meanwhile, the case against this group dates back to April 2023, when Armando Papa was arrested near Rinas Airport after 42 kg of heroin worth around 500 thousand euros was found in his car. According to investigations, he was the courier of Gëzim Çela and Arben Dalipaj.

The accused face the criminal offenses of “Drug trafficking”, committed in collaboration, within the framework of a structured criminal group, as well as “Committing criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group”. According to SPAK, the base of this group was located in Fushë Kuqe, Kurbin.

We recall that Gëzim Çela was previously sentenced by the former Serious Crimes Court to 10 years and 8 months in prison for drug trafficking and illegal possession of weapons, while in 2012, Italian authorities sentenced him to 19 years and 9 months in prison for organizing illegal immigration and exploiting prostitution, as part of a criminal organization.