In a major development, the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) launched a massive multi-pronged operation targeting an international money laundering and drug trafficking syndicate dubbed the “Aruba Corporation.”
Approved by the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO), the crackdown has resulted in 20 arrest warrants and the seizure of €128.3 million in illicit assets.
The investigation exposes a symbiotic financial relationship between high-profile crime syndicates and prominent business figures. This network laundered international cocaine profits directly into Tirana’s booming skyline and luxury beachfront developments along the Albanian Riviera—including disputed land in Zvërnec slated for a high-profile resort project.
1. The Genesis: The 2019 Aruba “Samit”
The architecture of this financial empire was uncovered through a 2019 European surveillance operation tracking the “Osmani Clan.”
Between January 24 and 31, 2019, European law enforcement monitored a high-level summit of Albanian nationals on the Caribbean island of Aruba.
The Dual Pillars of the Aruba Corporate Strategy
[ THE ARUBA SUMMIT (JANUARY 2019) ]
│
┌────────────────────────┴────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[ LATAM LOGISTICS ] [ DOMESTIC INJECTION ]
• Streamlining transnational supply chains • Funneling illicit wealth into
to procure, transport, and smuggle the legitimate Albanian economy.
bulk cocaine shipments into mainland Europe. • Backed by suspected local political
guarantees and public endorsements.
Belgian and Spanish investigative files sent to SPAK reveal that the participants used the island to map out logistics and coordinate real estate projects in Albania. These ventures were allegedly backed by domestic political support to systematically clean dirty money.
2. The Mechanics of the Money Laundering Pipeline
Led by Special Prosecutors Altin Dumani and Elida Kaçkini, the investigation mapped out a sophisticated, three-stage asset integration loop that converted drug money into concrete.
The Tri-Phasic Asset Integration Loop
[ 1. PLACEMENT & SMUGGLING ] ──► PHYSICAL & HAWALA CORRIDORS
• Raw bulk cash generated from European narcotics distribution centers is physically
smuggled across borders or transferred via the alternative "Hawala" banking system.
[ 2. FABRICATION & STATUTORY FRAUD ] ──► THE DAIMI REGISTER
• Agents deploy forged Ottoman-era land books—specifically the corrupted "Daimi Register
of 1318"—to legally claim thousands of square meters of prime coastal forest in Zvërnec.
[ 3. STRATIFICATION & INJECTION ] ──► REAL ESTATE CO-DEVELOPMENT
• The stolen, fraudulent land packages are rapidly fractured, swapped, and legally transferred
to high-profile construction tycoons to build skyscrapers and luxury resorts.
The Forged Ottoman Property Records
To secure a steady supply of land for development, the syndicate fabricated deep-rooted historical claims. For the beachfront properties in Zvërnec, the group produced a fraudulent Ottoman document known as the “Daimi Register of 1318 (Entry No. 47).”
They claimed a forebear, Seit Ahmet Shehu, owned vast swaths of coastal forest. While the Supreme Court of Albania eventually confirmed the document was fully falsified and intentionally mistranslated, the group had already successfully weaponized it to execute rapid property transfers, shifting boundaries closer to the sea.
3. Sky ECC Evidence: Unveiling the Dealings
Decrypted logs from the encrypted communications network Sky ECC provided SPAK with explicit proof of how the network managed multi-million-euro transactions for land and narcotics simultaneously.
In one exchange on September 9, 2020, syndicate members Alfredo Hamzai and Adrian Rama (key associates of fugitive ringleader Artur Shehu) expressed panic over rising land prices in the south:
“What’s up brother, listen, that friend of yours was at the Indian’s house again and talked about Zvërnec regarding the land price, but don’t say anything to him so we don’t mess things up…”
The contact replies: “They talked about the price for Palasa at your place and for Zvërnec,” adding that a cousin was terrified of “looking like a fool with the price that was agreed upon.”
Additional logs show the group directly dictating terms for multi-million-euro villa contracts at luxury beach resorts. In July 2020, one user ordered: “Talk to that villa guy, have the kid come sign. I’ll transfer 70 [thousand] through the bank, the rest we will settle later.”
4. High-Profile Targets and Seized Infrastructure
The GJKKO executed a freeze order on €128,354,437 held in accounts tied to Albania Land Development, a company managed by Redi Struga and owned by the Al Khayyat brothers, prominent investors from Qatar. The court fast-tracked the freeze, citing a high risk that the assets would be liquidated or hidden abroad.
| Targeted Development Entity | Key Promoters Implicated | Legal/Investigative Status |
| “Garden Building” & “Colonnade” (Tirana) | Ilir Shtufi (Construction Tycoon) | Arrest Warrant Executed. Accused of integrating syndicate cash into multi-story residential towers on Kavaja Street. |
| “Green Coast” Resort Vilas (Palasë) | Artur Shehu & Orest Sota | Arrest Warrants Issued. Properties frozen pending tracking of drug profits injected via proxy buyers. |
| Air Albania Stadium Plot (Dervish Hima, Tirana) | Adrian Rama, Elton Memeti, Alfredo Hamzai | Asset Restraint Applied. Investigation targets forced land alienation and zoning manipulations dating back to 2017. |
| Zvërnec Beach Front (Vlorë District) | Artur Shehu (U.S.-based Ring leader) | Total Asset Freeze. Land parcels overlap with the massive coastal resort zone recently promoted by Jared Kushner. |
5. Complete List of Judicial Sanctions (20 Arrest Warrants)
The GJKKO approved security measures and arrest warrants for the following individuals under charges of international drug trafficking, money laundering, and operating a structured criminal group:
- Ardian Zykaj (alias Blerim Miftari)
- Alfredo Hamzai (alias Genc Bedini)
- Adrian Rama
- Erjon Rama
- Orgest Birçaj
- Orest Sota
- Elton Memeti
- Artur Shehu (Key coordinator, residing in Florida, USA)
- Leonard Bishaj
- Arben Ismailaj
- Edmond Jaupi
- Besnik Myftari
- Dritan Aga
- Luçiano Koçeku (alias Artur Mersin Koçeku)
- Dino Koçeku (alias Abedin Koçeku)
- Ervin Koçeku
- Astrit Vladi
- Kastriot Vladi
- Gëzim Islami
- Ilir Shtufi (Prominent Tirana Builder)
