The Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime has sent for trial to the Special Court of First Instance the criminal proceeding no. 26 of 2025, against the defendant:
Mark Gilaj, accused of consuming elements of criminal offenses:
i. “Cultivation of narcotic plants”, carried out in cooperation in the form of a structured criminal group provided for in Articles 284/1 and 28 point 4 of the Criminal Code, in connection with Article 334/1 of the Criminal Code “Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization or a structured criminal group”
ii. "Structured criminal group", committed in the form of leadership provided for by Article 333/a/1 of the Criminal Code
iii. “Unauthorized possession and production of weapons, explosive weapons and ammunition”, as provided for in Article 278, first paragraph of the Criminal Code, as well as
iv. “Unauthorized production and possession of hunting and sporting weapons”, as provided for in Article 280 of the Criminal Code.
From the entirety of the investigations carried out, it has been proven that on 25.07.2024, after a check by the judicial police of the Malësi e Madhe Police Commissariat, near the village of Selcë, a cultivated quantity of 11,358 (eleven thousand three hundred and fifty-eight) cannabis cattiva narcotic plants was found in a meadow area.
The plants, with a height of 40 - 100 cm, were planted in 3 plots next to each other, on an area of 6,956 m2. The judicial police arrested the defendant Mark Gilaj in flagrante delicto.
From the search carried out in an improvised hut by the defendant and his accomplices, a Model 56 rifle, a shotgun with the inscription "SALSIMAZ", as well as several live ammunition were seized.
Accused of cannabis cultivation, organized criminal group and illegal possession of weapons, SPAK brings Mark Gilaj to trial, consuming the elements of the criminal offenses for which he is accused, provided for by articles 284/1, 28/4, 334/1, 333/a/1, 278/1 and 280 of the Criminal Code.
This defendant had the role of leader and financier in this illegal activity which he consumed in collaboration with several other persons, in the form of a structured criminal group. In order to identify the defendant's associates, we have proceeded with the separation of criminal proceedings no. 26 of 2025, numbering both criminal proceedings with no. 26/1 of 2025, and 26/2 of 2025, as well as continuing the investigations into these proceedings.