The Regional Court of Hamburg has sentenced 61-year-old Princ Dobroshi, an Albanian-born figure long associated with organized crime, to 13 years in prison. The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, marks the end of one of Europe’s largest cocaine trafficking trials in recent years.
 |
| Prince Dobroshi in court in Hamburg |
A 10-Ton Cocaine Network
The case revolved around the smuggling of 10 tons of cocaine from Central and South America through the Port of Hamburg in 2020. According to prosecutors, Dobroshi—known in the criminal underworld as “The Shark”—played a leading role in the transnational network.
The trafficking operation involved shipping cocaine in containers hidden among bananas, rice, coal, or gelatin. Once in Hamburg, the containers were secretly opened, the drugs removed, and then resealed with counterfeit customs seals. Investigators suspect that port workers may have been complicit in the scheme.
 |
| Prince Dobroshi smiling while being arrested by German special forces |
Dobroshi’s downfall came through the EncroChat investigation, the encrypted communication system widely used by criminals until European authorities cracked its codes. This breakthrough allowed law enforcement to track and dismantle major trafficking organizations across Europe, including Dobroshi’s network.
He was arrested in Albania in late 2023 and extradited to Germany in 2024.
A Criminal Past Spanning Decades
Dobroshi has a criminal record stretching back to the 1990s. He was arrested in Norway in 1993, escaped prison in 1997, and was recaptured in Prague in 1999. Released in 2005, he allegedly returned to organized crime, becoming more influential than ever.
Confession Shortened Trial but Not Sentence
At first, Dobroshi remained silent during the proceedings. Later, he confessed, which shortened the trial by 42 days. However, the court stressed that due to the massive volume of cocaine and his leadership role, a heavy sentence was unavoidable.
Court spokesperson Dr. Marayke Frantzen told Bild:
“The trial was originally scheduled to last until April 1, 2026. His admission of guilt saved 42 days of hearings.”
Millions at Stake: Asset Confiscation
Beyond the prison term, German authorities are pursuing €8.2 million in criminal assets. About €2.5 million in cash was already seized in 2020. Prosecutors will now determine how to recover the remaining funds linked to Dobroshi’s criminal empire.
With this verdict, one of Europe’s most notorious organized crime figures has been brought to justice once again. Whether Princ Dobroshi will ever walk free remains uncertain, but for now, “The Shark” has returned behind bars—possibly for the last time.