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The group that trafficked at least 50 tons of cocaine to Europe is suspected of investing the profits in real estate, hotels and construction companies. At the center of the scheme is “Aliu Road House”, the company that, according to SPAK, served to justify the cash proceeds from drug trafficking.
After the crackdown on the criminal group that, according to SPAK, trafficked at least 50 tons of cocaine from Latin America to European Union countries, investigations have also uncovered the mechanism through which the profits of criminal activity were funneled into the Albanian economy.
At the center of the money laundering scheme is Isa Aliu, considered by investigators to be one of the key people for the integration of millions of euros of drug proceeds into the construction sector, real estate and other commercial activities. Aliu is among the people wanted in today's SPAK operation.
According to the investigative file, a significant portion of the proceeds from international cocaine trafficking were transferred to Albania in cash, bypassing the banking system in the first phase. This money was then invested in properties, construction companies, hotels, consultancy and other commercial companies in order to hide their criminal origins.
Investigations show that the company "Aliu Road House", owned by Isa Aliu, played an important role in this scheme. SPAK says that after injecting large amounts of cash into the company's accounts during May-June 2021, the company began its activity in the construction sector.
According to investigators, the move was not accidental. It is suspected that Isa Aliu directed that the company initially appear as a subcontractor in the construction of housing, in order not to immediately attract the attention of law enforcement institutions. In this way, a legal cover was created for the continuous inflow of cash and the subsequent expansion in the construction sector.
SPAK has raised suspicions that the money laundering scheme was carried out through the fictitious purchase of shares in various companies, at prices many times lower than the real value. This method allowed the group to take control of commercial companies at minimal cost and channel funds of criminal origin into the economy.
Another mechanism used, according to the dossier, was the circulation of funds through loans between individuals and companies linked to the group. This created an artificial economic history, making it more difficult to trace the origin of the money and facilitating its integration into the formal financial system.
Investigations have revealed that the criminal group operated in Albania, Brazil, Belgium and the Netherlands during the years 2019-2021. According to SPAK, there is evidence that the organization trafficked at least 50 tons of cocaine, while in five documented episodes a total of 8 tons and 960 kilograms of the drug were seized in Belgium, the Netherlands, Colombia and Ecuador.
In parallel with the security measures, the Special Court has imposed preventive seizures on 491 movable and immovable assets, which are suspected to have been created or financed with income originating from international cocaine trafficking. According to SPAK, investments in construction, tourism and real estate have been the main link that has enabled the transformation of drug profits into assets with a legal appearance.
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