SPAK official announcement on the crackdown on Jetmir Pepaj's criminal group. The Special Prosecution Office says that 8 episodes of cocaine trafficking from Peru or Ecuador to the Netherlands, Sweden and Hungary have been uncovered. In total, the group trafficked 7.5 tons. Lulzim Pepaj, Jetmir Pepaj's brother, Florian Marku and Anton Kola ended up in handcuffs, while eight other suspects, including the group leader, were declared wanted. Meanwhile, assets worth 12 million euros were seized. SPAK says that the suspects are charged with "narcotics trafficking" committed in the special form of cooperation of the structured criminal group; "Laundering of the proceeds of a criminal offense or criminal activity" committed in the special form of cooperation of the structured criminal group; "Structured criminal group" and "Committing criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group".
8 episodes of cocaine trafficking
Episode 1 – January-March 2020 – Trafficking of a significant amount of cocaine during the period January-March 2020. Of this amount, on 21.03.2020, a quantity of 8.5 kg was seized in the city of Amsterdam, Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Episode 2 – 7-8 April 2020 – Trafficking of a quantity of 1,018 kg of cocaine from Peru to the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The cargo arrived at the port of Rotterdam on a Colombian ship while the narcotic substance was hidden in a refrigerated container containing frozen fruit juice. The sales value was over 1.3 million euros.
Episode 3 – June 6, 2020 – Trafficking of a quantity of 2020 kg of cocaine from Ecuador to the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands. This cargo had arrived at the Port of Rotterdam on a sea vessel from the Port of Guayaquil, Ecuador and was destined for a company in Hungary. Part of this cargo belonged to this criminal group.
Episode 4 – June 26, 2020 – Attempted trafficking of a quantity of 516 kg of cocaine, seized at the Muelle Sur Port Terminal, DP World Callao, Peru, and destined for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Episode 5 – June 30, 2020 – Trafficking of a quantity of 500 kg of cocaine, seized in the Port of Rotterdam, which had arrived in a container from Colombia containing canned tuna fish and was destined for a company in Germany.
Episode 6 – 7 August 2020 – Trafficking of a significant quantity of cocaine, estimated at around 1600 kg, of which 104 kg was seized on the same date on the A2 highway near the city of Abcoude in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Episode 7 – August 16, 2020 – Trafficking of a quantity of approximately 1,100 packages with a gross weight of 1,238.39 kg of the narcotic substance cocaine, which was hidden in a shipment of bananas in a container coming from Ecuador to the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands and had arrived at the Port of Rotterdam on a sea vessel coming from the Port of Antwerp, destined for a company in The Hague.
Episode 8 – October 1 – 2, 2020 – Trafficking of a quantity of 531 kg of cocaine in the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, a quantity which was seized by Dutch authorities, hidden in a container loaded with raisins, destined for Sweden.
Seized assets
As VNA previously reported, SPAK seized the assets of Pepaj and persons associated with him worth 12 million euros. The companies seized were “Pepa Group”, “HEC ARSTI”, “BIV” shpk, “Shëngjini 2013” shpk, “Oxford Hotel”, “Maison Nuve Aesthetics”, “EDKAL” shpk.
60 real estate properties of the types of arable land, land plot, hotel, parking lots and apartments, located in Tirana, Kamëz, Lezhë, Shëngjin, Saranda and Himara.
89 vehicles of various brands and types (technological vehicles for construction, freight transport or cars).
72 bank accounts belonging to various legal or natural persons, as well as citizens under investigation, or persons related to them.
On April 15, 2026, the State Police and the Asset Administration Agency initiated procedures to block these assets in registration offices and second-tier banks.
