SPAK executes 36 security measures to suspect smuggling, among them customs and businessmen

SPAK has undertaken an operation to execute 36 security measures to suspect smuggling. 15 of them are « jail arrest » measures, while the rest of the softer measures. In this action, the SPAK has hit a cigarette smuggling scheme involving customs officials, businessmen and foreign nationals.

Complete announcement by SPAK

SPAK strikes a structured criminal group for cigarette smuggling, 36 people under investigation. The Special Prosecutor’s Office against corruption and organized crime has registered criminal proceedings no. 20, 2023* For a sophisticated cigarette smuggling scheme, including Albanian and foreign nationals, as well as workers of customs structures.

The suspects acted in the framework of a structured criminal group in order to smuggle cigarettes produced within the territory of Albania to neighboring countries and then EU countries. Specifically, the commercial entity (cigarette factory « AT ») has applied and equipped with the authorization « Active Processing Regime » (RPA), by customs authorities, with the aim of excluding customs duties and duties in both the import of raw material and export. The entity works with the Fason regime, producing cigarette packs, for which there is a registered brand and exclusivity, on behalf of the ordering firm with the territory of Albania.

Investigations showed that the agreement between the investigated entity and the ordering company was made with the sole purpose of avoiding customs duties and that the Albanian entity itself determines the resulting destination. The structured criminal group, in more than 30 (thirty) cases, has changed the destination and then dismissed the load intended for the ordering firm in Albanian territory, with the aim of smuggling in neighboring countries without paying customs duties. These are considerable, given the fact that they are excise goods and the legal obligations for export have not been met, as it is not really reflected in the customs documentation.

From the totality of investigative actions carried out so far, it is reasonable that this structured criminal group with a long period of time, for the purpose of economic profit, has caused considerable damage to the state budget in the amount of 366.451,000 ALL and EU countries in the case of 2,802,159. Others have achieved the goal by losing the EU taxable value in approximately 10,000,000 euros.

This activity was carried out through the legitimacy of smuggling by certain customs structures in violation of the law without accompanying the burden of anti -smuggling structures until the exit from the territory of Albania as well as fictitious export liberation in the « Asycuda World » system as this amount of cigarettes came out of our country in the output customs customs. Also the production of cigarette packages without fiscal stamps has not enabled the collection of customs duties from the place where they are intended to be sold, an activity in violation of the excise law.

For the foregoing, the Special Prosecution Office against corruption and organized crime has filed the request for the imposition of the security measure for the suspected citizens and the Special Court of First Instance against Corruption and Organized Crime by Decision no. 48 dated 27.05.2025 has decided:

Imposing a personal security measure “Arrest in Prison”, provided by Article 238 of the Code of Criminal Procedure against persons under investigation; IJ, (owner of the factory), DJ (factory administrator), SD (citizen of Northern Macedonia), LC (Kosovo citizen and UK citizenship), ZS (Serbian national) and MB (Serbian national) suspected of committing criminal offenses  » In the particular form of cooperation that of the structured criminal group and the « structured criminal group », as well as « committing criminal offenses by criminal organization and structured criminal group » provided by Articles 172, points 3 and 28/4 and 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code.

Determination of the personal security measure « home arrest », provided by Article 237 of the Criminal Procedure Code, against the citizen under investigation N. g suspected of committing criminal offenses « Smuggling of goods paying excise or with full or partial suspension of customs or excise duties ». as well as « Committing criminal offenses by criminal organizations and structured criminal group » provided by Articles 172 paragraphs 3 and 28/4 and 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code.

Determination of the personal security measure « Arrest in Prison », provided by Article 238 of the Criminal Procedure Code, against persons under investigation IH, KG, IC, AT, MN, GT, GS, E.SH and IK, suspected of committing criminal offenses  » « Criminal Structured Group », as well as « Committing criminal offenses by criminal organization and structured criminal group » provided by Articles 175 and 28/4 and 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code.

Determination of the security measure « Prohibition of exit » and « Obligation to appear to the Judicial Police », provided by Articles 233 and 234 of the Criminal Procedure Code, under the citizen under investigation (Customs officer), suspected of committing criminal offenses « Customs and Customs Procedure Criminal structured ”, as well as“ Committing criminal offenses by criminal organization and structured criminal group ”provided for in Articles 175 and 28/4 and 333/a and 334 of the Criminal Code.

Imposition of the security measure « Prohibition of exit » and « Obligation to appear to the Judicial Police », provided by Articles 233 and 234 of the Code of Criminal Procedure against persons under investigation (customs officers); Eh, YK, BR, I., IM, AS, YS, L.C, IZ, FZ, GD, NS, LM, DP, BZ, AN, VG, SH.L and LD, suspected of committing the offenses « Smuggling by employees related to customs activity », provided by Article 175 of the Criminal Code.

Meanwhile, the security measure « jail arrest » was executed for 5 of the 15 nationals under investigation, while the security measure « Obligation » and « Prohibition of Output » was executed for 15 of 20 citizens under investigation. The Special Prosecution thanks the British authorities of the National Crime Agency (NCA), Kosovar, Greek and Cypriot for cooperation in the investigation of this criminal proceeding, especially in the rapid execution of mutual legal assistance.