Caribbean warrants hit 20 suspects in Albanian probe
In the caribbean-linked Albanian probe, the Special Court authorised 20 arrest warrants on June 12 in a case spanning money laundering, organised crime and international drug trafficking. The warrants swept up suspects tied to land deals, towers and resort projects in Tirana, Zvernec and Albania’s coast.
Artur Shehu was among those named. Prosecutors said Shehu, a Vlora native who has lived in Florida for two decades, attended meetings in Spain, Monaco, Germany and Aruba where narcotics shipments into Europe were planned.
Aruba meeting in late January 2019
Albanian men met in Aruba in late January 2019 to discuss cocaine-trafficking logistics in Latin America, land transactions in Tirana and along Albania’s coastline, and development projects involving high-rise towers and tourist resorts. The meeting was monitored by foreign law enforcement authorities, according to the case files.
Alongside Shehu, Arben Ismailaj, Elton Memeti, Adrian Rama and Bujar Shehaj attended the Aruba meeting. SPAK said the same network also held meetings with senior officials of the Albanian state.
Land deals tied to towers
The case files came from three separate criminal investigations, initially launched by prosecutors Altin Dumani and Elida Kaçkini over suspect land transactions in Zvernec. The files describe a symbiotic relationship between organised crime and business interests in major development projects approved during the past decade under Prime Minister Edi Rama.
They also name prominent Tirana construction businessmen Ilir Shtufi and Orest Sota. The Garden Building and Colonnade towers in Tirana were developed by companies owned by Shtufi, while the Green Coast resort in Palasa in southern Albania was part of the Balfin Group owned by Samir Mane. A sought-after parcel of land near Tirana’s Air Albania Stadium also appears in the files.
Zvernec resort dispute
Vast parcels of land in Zvernec and other coastal areas were linked to Shehu in the files, including land designated for the Zvernec resort promoted by Jared Kushner. The files did not suggest that Kushner or his company were involved in wrongdoing, but construction suddenly began at the Zvernec site despite ongoing claims of fraudulent land deals.
SPAK said Shehu participated in meetings in Spain, Monaco, Germany and Aruba, among other locations, during which the purchase, transportation and smuggling of large quantities of narcotics into Europe was planned. The next step now sits with the Special Court and the investigation files built around the 20 warrants.
