Soni Pepa, a highly wanted Albanian for drug trafficking, has been extradited from the Dominican Republic to Albania under tight security measures at Tirana International Airport. Also known as Vilson Pepa, he was affiliated with the criminal group led by Ervis Çelës and Franc Çopjas.
The Albanian State Police confirmed that as part of the international police operation “The Wanted”, Pepa, 41, born in Lushnjë, was extradited from Punta Cana following an Interpol-coordinated arrest.
Pepa had an active arrest warrant issued by the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime for:
- Drug trafficking
- Participation in criminal organization activities
- Money laundering from criminal activity
“Following cooperation between the Albanian Criminal Police Department and Interpol Santo Domingo, Pepa’s arrest and extradition were successfully completed. He has now been handed over to the General Directorate of Prisons,” the police stated.
Pepa is linked to a massive 11-ton cocaine shipment, of which 600 kilograms were seized in Rotterdam, Netherlands, between November 7–8, 2020. He is also accused of financing the purchase of an additional 10 kilograms in the same city.
International reports indicate that Pepa was part of a transnational criminal network operating across Europe and South America, with shipments originating from the port of Villetas, Paraguay, destined for Antwerp, Belgium.
