Hundreds of people from Albania to the EU trafficked, the sophisticated scheme is revealed. In trial 27 people

The Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime has closed the investigation and sent to trial the case against the 27 defendants, members of two structured criminal groups, accused of trafficking in human beings.

Acts for which they are charged:

« Assistance to illegal border crossings », performed in the form of special cooperation for the purpose of benefit, « falsification of documents », carried out in the form of special cooperation of the criminal group, « Structured criminal group », committed in the form of creation, management, organization or participation, « committing criminal organizations or criminal organizations »,  » articles; 298/2 and 28/4; 186/1 of 28/4; 333/a/1, 334/1 and 244/2 and 25 of the Criminal Code, provided by the Articles; 298/2 and 28/4; 186/1 of 28/4; 333/a/2 and 334/1 of the Criminal Code.

The investigation shows the existence of two criminal groups, composed of Albanian and foreign nationals who organized the illegal crossing of the Albanian border of over 650 foreign nationals, mainly from South Asian countries (Bangladesh) and Central Africa (Cameroon), 2023 to April 2024, against material benefit.

These criminal groups are believed to have carried out the same activity in 2022 and with foreign nationals from other countries. Albania is proven to have been used as a transit country, a territory through which the legitimate entry of foreign nationals from the continents of Asia and Africa on the continent of Europe through air transport and continued illegally through land transport to the Balkan route. This activity was carried out by using legal and bylaws regulating the employment of foreign nationals.

Criminal activity organized at a transnational level and consists of:

a) Recruitment of foreign nationals in their countries of origin, mainly from South Asian and Central African countries, through agencies operating in the United Emirates, Dubai or even Cameroon. Recruited persons are men aged on average from 24 to 35 years.

b) the mediation of their employment by the leaders of the criminal groups operating in Albania, including the application for their employment in various commercial companies, registered in Albania (mainly in Tirana, Vlora and Durres). In some cases, the partners or administrators of these companies were aware of the fictitious employment and are also considered as participants in the criminal group;

c) falsification of lease contracts, employment contracts, employment invitations, professional certificates or those recognizing foreign languages, necessary for procedures to obtain a visa of category “D”, according to Law no. 108/2023 “On Foreigners” and DCM no. 858, dated 858, dated 29.12.2021 “On the determination of criteria, procedures and documentation for the entry, residence and treatment of foreigners in the Republic of Albania”.

d) facilitating this criminal activity by specialists of the General and Local Directorate of Border Police, involved in the procedures of visiting these citizens, in knowledge and part of this criminal group, through counseling.

d) Planning of these citizens’ travel and travel tickets from ‘Vacation Planner Travel & Tourism’, located in the United Arab Emirates, with a partner, the defendant, KM Shaqiful Islam, their travel from Dubai and Cameroon airports, to Rinas and the reception by leaders and members of criminal groups.

e) their accommodation of several hours or several days in different countries such as; restaurants, hotels or other places, not presenting or presenting in work for only a few days with companies that have requested their employment, pending their transport;

f) illegally transporting criminal groups across the Albanian borders on the Balkan road, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia and further to the final destination of the European Union.

Regarding the payments made, it is proven that each of the foreign nationals from Bangladesh paid amounts of money, which range from six thousand to eight thousand euros. These amounts of money were paid mainly in Dubai and then transferred to Albania to group leaders through the Hawaala system.

The raids carried out in the defendants’ apartments were seized 700,000 (seven hundred thousand) US dollars, 400,000 (four hundred thousand) euros, 4 000 (four thousand) pounds, 520,000 ALL.