INSURRECTION/ SP MPs rebel, drag Gjati to vote on territorial division!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

Suspicious tenders for the customs laboratory – Besmir Beja's scheme for smuggling oil from Albania to Kosovo?

2026-05-27 10:50:54Investigim SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Suspicious tenders for the customs laboratory – Besmir Beja's scheme
Besmir Beja

A serious accusation by the Socialist Party MP, Erion Braçe, about the smuggling of oil from Albania to Kosovo, passed without any reaction or action from state institutions, those that should have responded to the published figures, where if the denunciation stood, they should have acted immediately by reporting this phenomenon. But, just like in any other sector, this accusation also passed as if nothing had happened, despite knowing "big and small" that such smuggling has existed, exists and probably will exist between the two states.

In fact, it is enough for these state institutions, or their employees, who make multi-page reports, meetings in designer clothes, traveling around the world to gain experience, to ask a few truck drivers in the office to confirm this whole scheme, which happens in broad daylight. Of course, smuggling and non-payment of taxes that should have gone to the budget are of most interest to wholesalers and undoubtedly to officials who have created this network and continue to maintain it by force, despite changes in leadership positions.

We have always seen that whenever directors are changed, whether of the police, taxes, customs, etc., there are actions for some of the phenomena, and even at the beginning, memorandums of cooperation are made to hit the wrongdoers, whether in their offices or private ones. But, in reality, it is quite different, since these actions are done with the sole purpose of showing subordinates who is the "capo" and where everyone should cough, to find those underground roads that connect private individuals with state offices, which function miraculously, like a Swiss watch.

If we showed the scheme above, below we are analyzing several documents, statements or reports, which show that, even after the change of the General Director of Customs, where Genti Gazhel's place was taken by Besmir Beja, smuggling, appointments or even tenders are once again done with "friends", where the initial actions have been extinguished, as everyone has found channels of communication with the new director. Sources from the General Directorate of Customs told the Vox News editorial office that Beja has appointed the most trusted people to several key positions, while he has recruited or shown loyalty to several former subordinates of Gazhel.

Undoubtedly, the biggest money always comes from the border crossing points, where customs are located, where our country has always been an "inn without gates", or whoever pays and has strong connections gets out without getting wet, all the way up to the Customs Directorate. A strategic point is Morina, where Albanian customs checks and analyzes a dozen trucks daily, taking samples to then calculate the fee they must pay.

But, this very point, according to sources that have reached the editorial office of Vox News, has turned into a "gold mine" for the leaders of Albanian Customs, where now the "capo" of this whole scheme is neither more nor less than Besmir Beja himself. Having worked in the Ministry of Interior or Finance, or having been a member of dozens of boards before taking this position, Beja has managed to control and appoint the most trusted people to that customs.

"Every hydrocarbon point, bag of food, medicine, construction materials that passes through there is controlled by Beja's people. They manipulate laboratory analyses, some by taking them out of parameters, some by estimating the stock and in this way, these private individuals pay less. The big catch is not the clothing or other materials, but the oil. They manipulate various things, they cooperate with those in Kosovo, they take samples and delay the answers. They pass the trucks and do not declare what goods they have," said a source from Customs.

Precisely the accusation of Braça, who spoke about a "history of smuggling" between the two countries, where according to him officials from both sides may be involved, in collaboration with private operators. "What worries me is what is happening with the re-export of hydrocarbons from Albania to Kosovo that no one opens their mouth about it. I have strong suspicions that this oil does not go to Kosovo, this oil is traded within the country. A shameful history of smuggling between the two countries has involved officials from both countries who do this work with the same operators, they collect money there," said the MP.

Vox News has learned that the Customs Laboratory, a sector where over 20 people work and which analyzes thousands of samples every week and month, is involved, either unintentionally or intentionally, in this game. There are suspicions that the delays in analyzing the samples taken from these trucks are related to the re-release of this substance on the market, not in Kosovo but in Albania.

Suspicious tenders for the customs laboratory – Besmir Beja's scheme
Document: Tender opened by the General Directorate of Customs for the maintenance and calibration of the Customs Laboratory

These are just suspicions raised by Vox News' open sources, which could very well be verified by the police, the prosecution, or even the Special Prosecution Office itself, as we are dealing with a genuine network of cooperation between state officials and business.

But, is this laboratory functional and what analyses does it perform? Our editorial team has analyzed several tenders recently opened by the General Directorate of Customs, the first for the maintenance and calibration of customs laboratory equipment. The limit fund of this procedure is 33,166,666, as it concerns calibration services, maintenance and repair services.

Meanwhile, at the same time, another procedure has been opened, with the object of "purchasing laboratory materials and reagents." The fund limit is 6,666,666 lekë, which requires reagents, glassware for laboratory use, laboratory pipettes and accessories, and chemical reagents.

Suspicious tenders for the customs laboratory – Besmir Beja's scheme
Document: KLSH report on delays in performing analyses at the Customs Laboratory

Vox News has learned that the Customs Laboratory was established in 2000, as a separate Directorate within the General Directorate of Customs and conducts analyses in order to verify the type of imported goods. “For this purpose, this laboratory is equipped with the necessary equipment to carry out tests on hydrocarbons, food products, textiles, etc. The laboratory Directorate has operated with a total staff of 20 employees, including the administration and 2 sectors,” says the Customs Directorate.

Meanwhile, a report by the Supreme State Audit Office, published in 2025, has shed light on a suspicious practice of this Laboratory, precisely at the border crossing point in Morinë. “The audit group has requested that all decisions and acts related to the operational plan on taking samples of
energy products exported and imported at the Morinë Customs Office be made available,” the report states. Then, an e-mail is also evidenced, sent by the General Directorate, to send laboratory employees to Morinë, Kuës, to prevent or identify illegalities. The employees took samples for energy products exported and imported through this customs point.

The SAI found several violations, according to which in 6 samples there was no technical capacity to perform all the analyses required for the verification of the tariff classification. Meanwhile, from the audit of the laboratory testing evidence for the implementation of procedural deadlines, 9 samples were identified with a deadline of 2-6 years exceeded, which resulted in being delegated to other laboratories. "From a series of verifications in the LIMS system, it was found that a large number of delegated samples result without test reports and further certificates as a result of non-payment of the duty by the commercial entities, thus conditioning the continuation of the administrative procedure on the verification of the goods and further taking of measures," the report continues.

©Copyright Vox News

This article is exclusive to Vox News, and is copyrighted under Law No. 35/2016, "On Copyright and Related Rights". The article may be republished by other media only by citing Vox News and including a link to the source at the end, otherwise any violator will be held liable under Article 178 of Law No. 35/2016.

Galeria fotografike (
)


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×