The Belgian newspaper, "Niewsblad", has paid attention to the Albanian Franc Çopja, whom it has considered a "key figure in the Albanian drug mafia".
The 33-year-old will appear in court on Thursday along with 8 other people for the murder of Ardit Spahiu, who was shot dead in broad daylight in Molenbeek, Brussels.
The 38-year-old victim was shot on November 27, 2020, while he was a passenger in a vehicle. He initially managed to flee, but was pursued on foot by two masked men, who executed him. The perpetrators shot at least 17 times, 11 of which hit Spahiu's body.
"Ardit Spahiu was no stranger to the underworld. He was involved in drug trafficking and in 2010 was arrested on suspicion of involvement in a murder in his hometown of Elbasan. Spahiu belonged to the "Alibej" clan, which had been in conflict with the rival "Çopja" clan for years," the article says.
According to Belgian media, after the theft of 49 kilograms of cocaine from an apartment belonging to the "Çopja" clan in London, violence between the two criminal groups escalated.
"The file is filled with contract killings carried out by both sides. The murder of Ardit Spahiu, who in 2019 fled to Belgium out of fear for his life, is considered a continuation of the conflict between these two clans," the article states.
The investigation into Spahiu's murder gained momentum after the decryption of the SKY ECC platform. In the end, 9 suspects were identified, including Franc (Gergelyn) Çopja, a key figure in the "Çopja" clan.
According to federal police, he and his brothers operated from Dubai and were involved in cocaine trafficking between South America and Europe.
"Gergely (Çopja) is the first drug criminal to be extradited from the United Arab Emirates to Belgium. He has been in custody in Belgium since late 2023 and is suspected of having ordered the murder of Ardit Spahiu. The jury for the trial was selected on Monday. On Thursday, the trial officially begins with the reading of the indictment, which consists of a full 204 pages," the article states.