Albania's Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Prosecution Office (SPAK) has arrested Emiljan Burba, whom prosecutors describe as the alleged leader of a structured criminal organization involved in the international trafficking of cocaine from South America to the European Union and marijuana from Albania to Germany and Turkey.
According to SPAK, the criminal group also allegedly included Rexhep Rraja, the son of former Socialist Party MP Rahman Rraja, who was arrested in December 2025 as part of the same investigation.
International Drug Trafficking Investigation
SPAK announced on Tuesday, July 7, that Burba was taken into custody on charges of leading a criminal organization engaged in large-scale international drug trafficking.
The investigation alleges that the network organized the transportation of marijuana from Albania through Montenegro with Germany as its final destination, shipped marijuana directly from Albania to Turkey, and trafficked cocaine from South American countries into the European Union.
According to prosecutors, members of the group communicated through the encrypted messaging platform Sky ECC, from which investigators obtained evidence allegedly documenting the trafficking operations.
More Than 1.7 Tons of Marijuana and Hundreds of Kilograms of Cocaine
The prosecution alleges that the suspects were responsible for trafficking 1,722 kilograms of marijuana from Albania to Montenegro in November 2020. The shipment, which was destined for Germany, was intercepted and seized by authorities.
During the same period, 475 kilograms of cocaine shipped from Ecuador to the Port of Vlissingen in the Netherlands were also seized as part of the investigation.
In January 2021, Turkish authorities seized another shipment containing 236 kilograms of marijuana allegedly sent from Albania.
Rexhep Rraja Among Those Previously Arrested
The investigation first became public in December 2025, when SPAK announced the arrest of 10 suspected members of the criminal organization, including Rexhep Rraja. Four additional suspects were declared wanted at the time.
Prosecutors say the investigation remains ongoing as they continue gathering evidence regarding the alleged involvement of additional individuals believed to have participated in the criminal network.
According to SPAK, investigators are continuing to analyze evidence and identify other suspects who may have played a role in the organization's alleged international drug trafficking activities.