The Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution (SPAK) has completed investigations and sent 16 people for trial, suspected as part of an international criminal organization trafficking cocaine from South America to European countries.
According to SPAK, the organization operated at least during 2019–2021 and trafficked no less than 60.7 tons of cocaine.
Të lidhura
None found
At the center of the investigation are Ervis Çela and Franc Gergely, also known as Franc Çopja, who according to the Prosecution exercised co-leading functions in the criminal organization. Its leadership level also includes Fadil Balla.
SPAK announcement
SPAK sends for trial the criminal organization of international cocaine trafficking
The Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime completed investigations and on 5.11.2026 submitted to the Special Court of First Instance the request for trial of criminal proceeding no. 187 of 2023, against 16 defendants:
Ervis Çela, Franc Gergely (alias Franc Çopja), Fadil Balla (alias Julian Balla), Riza Çela, Ardjan Çela, Maringlen Mullaj, Petrit Lakatos (alias Petrit Sulejmani), Renato Musaku, Gert Çerma, Marenglen Kamami, Soni Pepa (alias Vilson Pepa) – accused of committing the criminal offenses “Trafficking of narcotics”, committed in the special form of cooperation of a criminal organization, and “Commission of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and structured criminal group”, provided by articles 283/a, 28/1 and 334 (paragraph 1) of the Criminal Code, “Laundering of the proceeds of criminal offense or criminal activity”, committed in the special form of cooperation of a criminal organization, provided by articles 287/1, letters “a”, “b” and 28/1 of the Criminal Code, “Criminal organization”, in the form of organizing, provided by article 333, (paragraph 1) of the Criminal Code, “Commission of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and structured criminal group”, provided by article 334 point 1 of the Criminal Code.
Albin Çela, Elidon Çela and Denis Daja – accused of the criminal offenses “Laundering of the proceeds of criminal offense or criminal activity”, committed in the special form of cooperation of a criminal organization, provided by articles 287/1, letters “a”, “b” and 28/1 of the Criminal Code; “Criminal organization”, in the form of participation, provided by article 333, paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code; “Commission of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and structured criminal group”, provided by article 334 point 1 of the Criminal Code.
Ditjon Pepa and Kujtim Gjyla – accused of the criminal offenses of “Laundering of the proceeds of criminal offense or criminal activity”, committed in cooperation, provided by articles 287/1, letters “a”, “b” and 25 of the Criminal Code.
The Special Prosecution has also charged and sent for trial citizens Riza Çela and Albin Çela for the criminal offense “Illegal construction”, committed in cooperation for profit purposes, provided by article 199/a/4 of the Criminal Code.
Structure and activity of the criminal organization
From analysis of investigative data administered in the framework of criminal proceeding no. 187/2023, including communications obtained through encrypted platforms SkyECC and EncroChat as well as other evidence administered during the investigation, data support the existence and operation of an international criminal organization, involved in organizing, coordinating and carrying out trafficking of significant quantities of cocaine from South American countries toward European markets.
The organization includes at least 16 identified persons and many others unidentified. The structure appears organized vertically, with cooperation relationships and consolidated links with criminal groups and organizations in Paraguay and Brazil and operated at least during 2019-2021. From the investigation so far it has resulted that two Albanian citizens, Franc Gergely, arrested in Belgium, and Ervis Çela, arrested in Albania as part of criminal proceeding no. 187/2023, exercised co-leading functions in this international-scale criminal organization. Administered data show that this structure had capacities to control and coordinate various links of the drug trafficking chain, starting from securing the narcotic substance in the countries of origin, its financing and transport, to distribution in several European Union states, including Germany, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Italy. The circulation of financial benefits from trafficking of narcotic substances was carried out in a structured way, through an international network, which used informal mechanisms for transferring monetary values, such as Hawala and the identifier mechanism with token. The activity of this structure extended across several states and relied on cooperation relationships, consolidated contacts and functional division of tasks among the persons involved, part of the trafficking chain links. It focused on securing the narcotic substance in countries of origin, financing its purchase and transport, organizing movement from production areas toward collection points and departure ports, preparing and camouflaging loads in legal goods, organizing maritime transport toward Europe, as well as coordinating reception, extraction from ports, storage, distribution and sale of cocaine in European markets. In parallel with these processes, data show the use of special mechanisms for financing the activity, managing income and transferring funds between different countries. In this context, informal value transfer mechanisms are mentioned, including the Hawala system, as well as the use of identification codes or tokens for coordinating and verifying the delivery and receipt of monetary sums. The international scope, duration and repetition of trafficking episodes, together with the use of special logistical and financial structures, testify to an organized and continuous activity, based on stable cooperation between the persons involved and a clear division of roles and responsibilities. From analysis of communications administered on the encrypted SkyECC platform, available since 29.11.2019, as well as photographic materials exchanged between Ervis Çela, Franc Gergely and other collaborators, data related to organizing and carrying out trafficking of narcotic substances have been evidenced. The communications, in Albanian and Spanish, contain references to sending, receiving, quantities and transport of cocaine, including its concealment in cargoes of legal products exported from Paraguay to Europe. Also, communications and photographic materials have been identified related to the circulation of monetary sums, the use of the informal money transfer system “Hawala” and “token” identification codes, as well as through commercial companies that carry out import and export activities of legal products. In communications there are references to companies, products, shipments, commercial documentation and organization of transport. Exchanged photographs show legal products, which, in the context of conversations, appear as part of the mechanism for transporting and camouflaging loads.
Roles
From analysis of communications and other administered data, Ervis Çela and Franc Gergely appear to have had functions of particular importance in the organization and coordination of suspected criminal activity.
Ervis Çela handled supply in countries of origin, including contacts with suppliers in Latin America, securing and financing cocaine quantities, discussing its quality and prices, organizing transport from production areas toward Paraguay, as well as coordinating road and air transport by small planes from Bolivia to Paraguay, in cooperation with other involved persons. Ervis Çela also appears linked to the process of collection, storage and preparation of export cargoes, as well as loading the narcotic substance at the port of Villeta, Paraguay.
Franc Gergely handled mainly financing and coordination of further phases of the activity, including organizing international transport, securing and coordinating ordering companies for legal goods used to camouflage cocaine, organizing extraction of cargoes from European ports, mainly from the port of Antwerp, Belgium, as well as managing the sale of the narcotic substance in Europe, on behalf of Ervis Çela and other collaborators.
From analyzed communications, cocaine production laboratories in the Andes area, especially in Bolivia, were referred to by the term “kitchens”. In this supply phase, Ervis Çela appears to have had the central role. His communications with Franc Gergely evidence the coordination between two links, that of supply and then of financing and international transport. According to administered communications, after being secured in countries of origin, cocaine was transported to Paraguay, where it was stored and prepared for export. For this purpose, air transport by small planes from Bolivia to rural areas of Paraguay was also used. In communications, loads up to about 500 kg are mentioned, which after arrival were transferred to heavy-tonnage trucks, specialized for transporting the narcotic substance.
After arriving in Paraguay, cocaine was collected, stored and prepared for export to Europe. From administered data, it appears that commercial companies P.T.S.A. and E.P.S.R.L., owned by citizen D.I.B.C., were used. Through this commercial infrastructure, the narcotic substance was repackaged and hidden in cargoes containing legal products such as patching putty, paints and other industrial products. The use of these companies enabled the creation of a commercial cover for exports, integrating cocaine transport into ordinary international goods circulation.
Cocaine was bought for about 4,100–4,200 dollars per kilogram, a price that also provided transport to the Port of Villeta, Paraguay.
For boarding on ships, 1,300 dollars per kilogram were also paid, in the form of bribes for the passage of the cargo.
In communications, the term “boarding” was used to refer to this phase, while the term “exit” referred to extracting the cargo from the European port of destination. These data evidence the existence of defined costs for different transport phases, as well as the need to coordinate financing among persons involved in relevant links of the activity. Overall, river and intercontinental maritime transport were combined. The narcotic substance was hidden inside legal commercial cargoes, placed in containers that follow ordinary export routes. After departure from the Port of Villeta, Paraguay, the cargoes were transported through the Paraguay–Paraná river corridor toward the Port of Buenos Aires, Argentina, which served as a transit point and link between river and maritime transport. From this port, containers were loaded on transoceanic vessels of international commercial lines and continued sailing toward European ports. The main identified destinations include the ports of Hamburg, Germany, Antwerp, Belgium, Barcelona, Spain and Rotterdam, the Netherlands. An important element in the functioning of this mechanism was changing the destination of containers during the voyage to Europe, in order to direct them toward ports where conditions had been created to deliver and then extract the narcotic substance. From analysis of SkyECC communications, an element of particular importance emerges for determining the role of Franc Gergely in the phase of cocaine arriving in Europe. Specifically, he refers to contacts and cooperation with persons linked to customs and port security structures in Antwerp, Belgium, including persons operating the scanner, performing security services, etc.
According to the evidenced modus operandi, for each load, legal products were ordered in advance from companies linked to the involved persons. After containers departed from Paraguay and passed through transit ports, the destination was changed and the delivery port determined. In this process, Franc Gergely appears as a person with contacts and organizational capacities to coordinate extraction of cargoes from the port of Antwerp. This phase was essential for carrying out trafficking, as it required cooperation of transporters, persons with information on container movements and contacts in port structures. The cost of extracting cocaine was calculated at 15% of the load and usually paid in kind, through delivery of a part of it.
After cocaine was extracted from European ports, the Netherlands served as one of the main centers of storage and wholesale distribution, under the coordination of Franc Gergely. From administered communications, his involvement emerges in coordinating quantities, setting prices, organizing packaging and transport toward EU countries, as well as managing payments and division of benefits among involved persons. These data show that his role extended beyond extracting cocaine from ports, also including organizing distribution and financial administration of suspected criminal activity.
An element that evidences the organization of criminal activity is the use of informal mechanisms for transferring monetary values, referred to in communications as “Hawala” and “token”. The Hawala system enabled transfer of money across states through a network of intermediaries, without using bank transfers or physical transport of them, while “token” served as an identifier for carrying out and verifying delivery of sums. Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Albania, Turkey and Dubai are mentioned as transit points or destinations of these transfers. From analyzed communications, the relationship between Franc Gergely and Ervis Çela was characterized by continuous coordination of various links of suspected criminal activity. Ervis Çela secured cocaine at source and organized its transport to Paraguay, while Franc Gergely was involved in financing cargoes, organizing maritime transport, extracting them from European ports and managing cocaine after arrival at destination. Securing cocaine and preparing cargoes for export, without financing and organizing transport and extraction at destination, could not achieve the final objective of the activity. Likewise, these phases required prior securing of the narcotic substance. Therefore, the administered data support the assessment that Franc Gergely and Ervis Çela exercised decision-making competences over different but interdependent links, coordinating actions for carrying out joint activity. The division of roles does not necessarily demonstrate a hierarchical relationship, but a cooperation model where each acted with functional autonomy and responsibility for the respective link.
From analysis of administered data, Franc Gergely and Ervis Çela appear as first-level leaders of the criminal organization, with central roles in coordinating cocaine trafficking. This leadership level also includes Fadil Balla, who appears to have acted mainly in cooperation with Ervis Çela and other persons under investigation. The second leadership level includes Petrit Lakatos, close collaborator and right hand of Franc Gergely, with a role in extracting cargoes from the port of Antwerp, storage, wholesale distribution in the Netherlands and income management, as well as Mikolvan Mullaj, who appears to have coordinated operational activity under the direction of Ervis Çela and Fadil Balla. Each of them had subordinate collaborators, engaged in transporting the narcotic substance, delivering it, collecting money and sending cargoes to other destinations. These data evidence a structure organized at several leadership and operational levels.
From analysis of encrypted communications on the SkyECC and EncroChat platforms, as well as their cross-referencing with evidence administered through international legal assistance requests and information exchanged with foreign authorities, it appears that this criminal organization organized and carried out international trafficking of a quantity no less than 60.7 tons of cocaine from South America toward various European countries, during 2019–2021. The dimensions of this criminal activity, its geographic scope and the volume of trafficked quantities evidence considerable organizational, logistical and financial capacities, as well as an international cooperation network, which enabled securing the narcotic substance in countries of origin, transporting it through international routes and distributing it in European markets.
In this context, from administered evidence several concrete episodes of seizure of significant quantities of cocaine have been identified, linked to the period of this organization’s activity, specifically:
– December 2019 – Rotterdam, Netherlands: seizure of about 255 kg of cocaine.
– April 2020 – Barcelona, Spain: seizure of about 495 kg of cocaine.
– May 2020 – Rotterdam, Netherlands: seizure of about 300 kg of cocaine.
– November 2020 – Netherlands: seizure of about 600 kg of cocaine.
– February 2021 – Hamburg, Germany: seizure of about 17 tons of cocaine.
In total, these five episodes document the seizure of about 18,650 kg, or 18.35 tons, of cocaine.
Foreign collaborators of Ervis Çela, Franc Gergely and Fadil Balla
1. One of the important persons in Ervis Çela’s network of contacts is the Uruguayan citizen with initials S.E.M.C., arrested in Bolivia in 2023 and then extradited to the United States of America. According to the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, he is suspected of leading an international cocaine trafficking organization from South America to Europe and laundering proceeds of this criminal activity.
2. Another close collaborator of Ervis Çela is the other Uruguayan citizen with initials F.E.S.V., who appears involved in international money laundering schemes in Paraguay, in favor of drug trafficking organizations. He brokered the transfer of millions of dollars, obtained from drug trafficking in various European countries, toward South America and other destinations. This citizen was arrested in Paraguay in August 2023, as part of the anti-drug operation “A Ultranza PY”, and in July 2024 was extradited to the USA.
3. In the circle of Ervis Çela’s closest collaborators is also the Paraguayan citizen with initials D.I.B.C. He is the owner of several commercial companies, which are suspected of being used for storing, preparing and camouflaging cocaine in legal products, for further transport by containers toward Europe. Currently, this citizen has been declared internationally wanted.
4. Another Paraguayan citizen linked to this activity is the citizen with initials A.R.G., currently arrested, who, in Paraguay and Brazil, faces criminal charges for suspected involvement in international organized crime. The Prosecution in Paraguay accuses him of international drug trafficking and money laundering. He owned sport planes, suspected of being used for transporting significant quantities of cocaine from Bolivia to Paraguay.
5. This collaborator network also includes the Brazilian citizen with initials C.S.L., currently internationally wanted by Brazilian authorities. He appears involved, in cooperation with Ervis Çela, in organizing the purchase, financing and distribution of narcotic cargoes, through continuous supply of multi-ton quantities of cocaine produced in laboratories of the Andes region.
6. Also, Brazilian citizens with initials R.P.A. and Th.A.D.B. appear involved in managing laboratories, determining cocaine quality parameters and identifying cargoes through stamped marks on packages of the narcotic substance. An important indicator of Ervis Çela’s position in this relationship is the suppliers’ readiness to place at his and his collaborators’ disposal quantities of 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms of cocaine without prepayment, postponing settlement of the financial obligation to a later moment.
7. In continuation of these data, from analysis of communications it appears that, in some cases, cocaine production laboratories encountered difficulties in meeting Ervis Çela and his collaborators’ requests, due to the impossibility of producing and securing the required quantities of the narcotic substance.
The volume of criminal activity has been accompanied by the realization of extraordinarily large financial benefits, potentially reaching values in the billions of euros. For this reason, an important aspect of the investigation also relates to identifying, tracing and seizing possible products of criminal activity, as well as evidencing financial mechanisms used for their transfer, investment and concealment.
Seizures
An important part of the investigation has been the identification and seizure of assets that the investigated defendants and their family members may have owned, which are suspected of having criminal origin.
At the request of the Special Prosecution, the Special Court of First Instance has imposed the security measure “preventive seizure” on assets of investigation subjects or related persons as follows:
1. Commercial entity “Solis FARM”, operating in the field of agrotourism, accommodation, hotel and bar-restaurant services, as well as properties and assets related to this activity, specifically:
2. 100% of the quotas of economic operator “SOLIS FARM”, with activity address in Mumajes village, Baldushk Administrative Unit, Tirana, Kodra e Kishës.
3. Real estate no. 128/8, volume 3, page 172, Cadastral Zone 2736, located in Mumajes, Baldushk, Tirana.
4. Real estate no. 121/8, volume 3, page 172, Cadastral Zone 2736, located in Mumajes, Baldushk, part of the economic operator “SOLIS FARM”.
5. The restaurant service building, together with all its internal and external premises, as well as all items, equipment and furnishings located in these premises.
6. Bank account at Raiffeisen Bank, in the name of citizen D.Gj., with a monetary balance of 71,268.44 euros.
In the name of citizen Albin Çela and in co-ownership:
1. Property no. 348/37, vol. 23, page 164, ZK 3321, with active status, located in Sharrë, Tirana, on which industrial warehouses and buildings for commercial activity have been constructed.
2. Property no. 348/38, vol. 23, page 165, ZK 3321, Sharrë, Tirana.
3. Property no. 349/47, vol. 12, page 5, ZK 3321, in Sharrë.
4. Property no. 348/29, vol. 15, page 33, ZK 3321, Sharrë, Tirana.
5. Property no. 348/43, vol. 11, page 245, ZK 3321, Sharrë, Tirana.
6. Property no. 349/45, vol. 12, page 3, ZK 3321, owned by Albin Çela and A. Ç, Sharrë, Tirana.
7. A villa ordered from construction company “NG STRUCTURES” sh.p.k., for which prepayment has been invoiced.
8. Economic interests in company “Giam Konstruksion” sh.p.k., with NIPT L73106801V, including its quotas and shares, with activity address in Agonas, Kavajë.
In the name of citizen Riza Çela:
1. Property no. 348/14, vol. 2, page 110, ZK 3321, with an area of 5,900 m², category “Arable land”.
Financial valuation of investments
Referring to the expert act, it results that citizens Albin Çela and Riza Çela have invested in the purchase of land a value exceeding 50,000,000.00 lek, while the cost of construction of four buildings erected on these land areas is estimated at over 1,200,000 euros.
Assets seized from citizen Fadil Balla:
1. AJMAN PARK, resort in Xhafzotaj, Durrës, which includes hotels, service buildings, restaurant and other commercial premises, as well as interests linked to company “AMR”. According to the technical-evaluation expert act, the value of investment in this resort amounts to 463,126,800 lek.
2. A two-story villa, “ELYSIAN” type, no. L1, part of the tourist complex “Ionian Olea”, located on the Dhërmi coast, Himarë Municipality, with an area of 103 m² on the ground floor, 110 m² on the first floor, 18.1 m² balconies and 26.6 m² veranda, and with its available parcel, with a total area of about 378.2 m². According to the referenced valuation, the property has a market value of 1,000,000 euros.
Assets seized from citizen F.C:
1. 100% of capital quotas of commercial company “Check Company” Sh.p.k., with headquarters on Dibra Street, Tirana, as well as 25, twenty-five, motor vehicles registered in the ownership of this company, with a total value of 69,973,223, sixty-nine million nine hundred seventy-three thousand two hundred twenty-three, lek, a value which represents the initial purchase price of the motor vehicles, deducting accumulated depreciation up to the moment of valuation.
Value of seizures
A cash monetary sum of 130,000, one hundred thirty thousand, euros has been seized, as well as vehicles and other valuable items.
The total value of assets and monetary sums seized is calculated at approximately 9,181,000.00, 9 million 181 thousand euros.
In the framework of this criminal proceeding, SPAK has developed close cooperation with Eurojust, Europol, in the framework of operation “White Eclipse”, as well as with judicial authorities of the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, North Macedonia, Paraguay, Ecuador, Brazil and other countries. We express gratitude for their contribution in advancing investigations and bringing to criminal responsibility the leaders and members of the criminal organization. Also, we thank the U.S. Government and the OPDAT Office at the American Embassy in Tirana for financial support and facilitation of cooperation with judicial authorities of South American countries. Special appreciation is expressed to investigators of the National Bureau of Investigation and the Financial Sector for professionalism and dedication shown during the investigation. Investigations continue in the framework of a separated proceeding, with the aim of identifying other collaborators, documenting possible criminal offenses and tracing movable and immovable assets deriving from criminal activity or linked to the organization.
