The Special Prosecution Office has completed the property investigations against Nikolin and Klevent Gjolenë, related to the case of trafficking 485.5 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Albania. On November 6, 2026, SPAK requested the Special Court to confiscate 16 real estate properties in Tirana and Durrës, with a market value of over 2 million euros.
The property investigations also include six people related to them. According to SPAK, the assets are in the direct or indirect possession of the two suspects and their families, while the legality of the financial resources used to purchase them has not been proven.
A total of 16 properties have been identified, of which 3 apartments and 2 garages in Tirana, as well as 8 apartments and 3 units in Durrës. Their value at the time of signing the contracts is around 1 million euros, while according to market prices it exceeds 2 million euros.
One of the findings of the investigation is related to the origin of the money. SPAK has identified five transfers in the name of family members, with a total value of 404,733 euros and 42,942 dollars, coming from countries in Central America and the Caribbean region, known as tax havens.
The property investigation is related to the November 2022 operation, when 485.5 kilograms of cocaine were seized in Frakull e Madhe, Fier, hidden in a shipment of organic fertilizer coming from Colombia.
For this matter, Nikolin Gjolena was sentenced to 11 years and 4 months in prison by the Special Court, a decision upheld by the Appeals Court in December 2024.
According to SPAK, the accounting expertise and the administered documentation have raised reasonable doubts that the assets were created with income, the legality of which has not been justified. It is now up to the Special Court to decide whether the 16 properties will ultimately pass into state ownership.
