In an operation undertaken by the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, known as SPAK, an undercover Albanian agent became the key to unraveling a vast criminal network. This network was involved in trafficking illegal emigrants to England and the United States. The intervention of the undercover agent led to the dismantling of a sophisticated criminal structure, exposing the practices and operational methods of this group.
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| A fake Greek car license and an Italian car license seized by SPAK |
Unaware that they were engaging with an undercover Albanian, members of this criminal group offered him falsified documents for a fee of approximately 10,000 euros. These documents, including passports, identity cards, and driving licenses, were procured from a laboratory in Kosovo. Subsequently, the undercover agent was instructed to travel to Spain. In Spain, he met one of the suspects, who provided him with the false documents to continue his journey to Ireland.
One of the intercepted conversations reveals the level of trust the suspects had in the undercover agent. Njazi Ademaj, one of the suspects, says: "Hey brother, I won't give you a 100 percent guarantee, but 99 percent."
The communications and meetings of the undercover agent with the group members were documented by SPAK and included in the investigation file. The result of this investigation was the arrest of 37 individuals, 31 of whom were sent to prison, and 6 were placed under house arrest.
SPAK revealed that the criminal group used a scheme to ensure the illegal passage from Albania to the United Kingdom and the United States. The Special Structure documented 44 cases of illegal emigrant trafficking and 70 falsified passports, mainly Slovenian, Italian, and Romanian.
In addition to individuals engaged in locating Albanians aiming for England or the USA, a police officer and two passenger travel agencies on land routes were also involved in the scheme. They physically transported false documents from Albania to Spain.
According to SPAK, the criminal group that facilitated illegal emigrants to the United Kingdom was led by Bashkim Sula, while the one directed to the USA was led by Ylli Caushi.
All emigrants, traveling from Albania with their legitimate passports, were given instructions on where to accommodate in Spain and how to respond during interviews with authorities. However, they were also kept under surveillance by group members, to see if they successfully passed through border crossings or not.