The Special Prosecutor's Office (SPAK) revealed the scheme of how 5 people in cooperation with each other trafficked Albanian citizens to the USA and Canada in exchange for amounts of money ranging from 20 thousand to 45 thousand dollars.
SPAK says that the data of the investigations so far have proved the existence of a criminal group, which has organized the provision of assistance for illegal crossing of the border to some Albanian citizens, through forged documentation, with the final destination of the United States of America .
This criminal activity is suspected to be well organized at the transnational level, as the illegal passage to the USA turns out to have been carried out through the countries Albania-Italy-Spain-Mexico-USA.
"Citizens interested in fleeing to the USA crossed the Albanian border with their Albanian passports and at the airports of Spain from where the transit to Mexico and on to the USA was carried out, they were met by other citizens involved in this criminal activity, who provide them with a forged identification document. All this activity was carried out for no more than 15-20 days and each person paid an amount from 20 000 (twenty thousand) USD to 45 000 (forty five thousand) USD", explains SPAK.
"Prison arrest" was set for the citizen Luc Melaj, while the measure "House arrest" was set for the citizens Emanuel Melaj, Gezin Camaj, Tonin Melaj and Bashkim Cokaj. These last two officials at the border crossing point in Hani i Hotit, respectively with the duties of assistant specialist, second line controller at Hani i Hotit BCP and shift manager at Hani i Hotit BCP. They are accused of the criminal offense "Abuse of duty".
SPAK announcement
SPAK notice:
This criminal activity is suspected to be well organized at the transnational level, as the illegal passage to the USA turns out to have been carried out through the countries of Albania-Italy-Spain-Mexico-USA" informs SPAK in today's announcement. The
Special Prosecutor's Office clarified and the scheme that the criminal group used to extort Albanians in the USA for a profit ranging from 20,000 (twenty thousand) USD to 45,000 (forty five thousand) USD. The whole procedure was carried out within 15 - 20 days.
The Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime has carried out investigations within the framework of criminal proceedings no. 135, of 2023, for the criminal offenses "Aiding for illegal crossing of borders", carried out in the form of special cooperation of the structured group. criminal, "Forgery of identity cards, passports and visas", carried out in the form of special cooperation of the structured criminal group, "Structured criminal group" and "Commitment of criminal offenses by the criminal organization and the structured criminal group", provided from articles 298/1 and 28/4, 189/1 and 28/4, as well as 333/a/2 and 334/1 of the Criminal Code, as well as "Assistance for illegal border crossing", carried out in cooperation, " Exercising illegal influence on persons exercising public functions" and "Abuse of duty", provided by articles 298/3, 245/1/1 and 248 of the Criminal Code.
The investigations of this criminal proceeding were carried out in close cooperation with the National Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Agency, the Diplomatic Security Service, the Office of Criminal Investigation outside the USA with a presence at the Embassy of the United States in Tirana, the General Directorate of the Police of of the State, the Special Unit "Common Shield" as well as with the Shkodër Local Police Directorate.
From the data of the investigations so far, the existence of a criminal group has been proven, which has organized the provision of assistance for illegal crossing of the border to some Albanian citizens, through forged documentation, with the final destination of the United States of America. This criminal activity is suspected to be well organized at the transnational level, as the illegal passage to the USA turns out to have been carried out through the countries Albania-Italy-Spain-Mexico-USA.
The modus operandi followed by the persons involved in this criminal activity initially consists in establishing contact between the persons interested in fleeing to the USA and the person under LM investigation, who, with the aim of crossing the border illegally, carried out, in cooperation with other citizens, actions such as: quickly producing forged identification documents, cutting travel tickets, equipping with new mobile devices and telephone numbers according to the countries where the trip is carried out, etc.
Citizens interested in fleeing to the USA crossed the Albanian border with their Albanian passport and at the airports of Spain from where the transit to Mexico and on to the USA was carried out, they were met by other citizens involved in this criminal activity, who provide them with a forged identification document. All this activity was carried out for no more than 15-20 days and each person paid an amount from 20,000 (twenty thousand) USD to 45,000 (forty five thousand) USD.
Also, within the framework of the actions and verifications carried out by the investigators of the National Bureau of Investigation and the officers of the Local Police Directorate of Shkodër, another illegal activity was found carried out at the Border Crossing Points of the Republic of Albania with Montenegro, from the side of the border police officers of the Albania-Montenegro PKK. This illegal activity consisted in non-registration in the PKK systems of Albanian citizens, who for reasons such as: exceeding the period of stay in EU countries; prohibition of entry into various countries due to penalties; or in cases where the citizens are asylum seekers in different countries, etc., they sought to illegally avoid the registration of crossing the border.
After carrying out the necessary investigative actions, analyzing the evidence collected up to this stage of the investigation, the Special Prosecutor's Office submitted to the Special Court the request for the appointment of security measures against persons suspected of committing the criminal offenses described above.
The Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime with its decision no. 81, dated 21.07.2024, has decided the appointment of coercive personal security measures "prison arrest", provided by Article 238 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for the person under LM investigation and the security measure "house arrest", provided by article 237 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for persons under investigation TM, B.Ç, EM and GC
On the part of the structures of the General Directorate of the State Police, all personal security measures have been executed and controls have been carried out, where items have been seized that have served to commit a criminal offense or items that constitute the product of a criminal offense, such as : the sum of approximately 8,000 Euros, 600,000 (six hundred thousand) Lek, 3,000 (three thousand) USD, 240 (two hundred and forty) Canadian dollars, 17 mobile devices, 3 vehicles, USB, bank documents and travel documents of interest to the investigation .