Journalist Klodiana Lala has revealed the details of a fraudulent scheme through call centers operating in the center of Tirana, with victims mainly citizens from Spain and Italy.
According to the investigation file, several foreign citizens have testified that they were defrauded through fictitious investments. One of the victims claimed to have lost up to 1.5 million euros, investing all of his life savings. Following these denunciations, SPAK has approached the GJKKO for an inspection permit.
The searches focused on a tower block in the center of Tirana, where the Israeli embassy is located and where strict security measures are in place. To enter the suspected premises, agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (BKH) used the access cards of an employee of the building. During the initial search, it was found that the premises were empty and the equipment had been removed, raising suspicions that the perpetrators had prior information about the intervention of the authorities.
Investigations revealed that the activity had moved to another adjacent tower, on the fifth floor, rented. There, according to SPAK, the people involved were attempting to destroy a significant portion of the evidence. Through security cameras, the vehicles that had transported the electronic devices from one environment to another were identified.
During the searches at the second premises, equipment and documents were seized that indicate the large scale of the criminal activity. According to preliminary estimates, the damage caused by the fraud amounted to between 8 and 12 million euros per month during the period under investigation, while the total suspicions range up to around 30 million euros.
Lala also faced criticism from Albanian institutions, who only reacted after the Italian investigative show Le Iene denounced the criminal activity taking place in the center of Tirana, casting doubt on the involvement of police officers.
