The Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime has completed its investigations and sent to court 11 people accused of participating in an oil smuggling scheme in the Port of Durres, as well as other criminal offenses.
Among the defendants is the police officer from the Durrës Police Station, Armand Marvataj.
The investigations, launched on the basis of materials provided by the Police Surveillance Agency (AMP), revealed the planning, organization and execution of the smuggling of approximately 200 tons of oil from aboard the Tunisian-flagged ship "AYA ZANOYBYA", anchored in Porto Romano.
Among the accused are Albanian, Syrian and Egyptian citizens, including: Armand Marvataj, police officer, Juxhin Koka, Drilon Malluta, Mohammad Sallit (ship captain) and Nedio Mejdani (first officer), and crew members, Samir Bayoumy with the duty of third engineer and technical manager of the ship, sailors, Hasan Broud, Sami Shanata, Faez Ismaeil, Wissam Rostom and Abdoulmohaimen Shanata, Syrian citizens and an Egyptian.
According to SPAK, the investigative actions resulted in Juxhin Koka and Drilon Malluta offering a 10 thousand euro bribe to police officer Armand Marvataj, in order for the latter to allow the illegal extraction of oil seized from the ship, on 27.1.2025.
On the evening of the same date, in collaboration with crew members, oil was illegally transported off the ship, despite it being under seizure imposed on January 12, during the operation codenamed "Black Gold", by the Durrës Local Police Directorate.
SPAK announcement
SPAK sends 11 defendants for trial for smuggled oil in Durrës
The Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime has completed the investigations and sent for trial, criminal proceeding no. 35 of 2025, against the 11 defendants:
Armand Marvataj, a police officer at the Durrës Police Station, accused of committing the criminal offense of "Passive corruption of persons exercising public functions", provided for by article 259/2 of the Criminal Code;
Juxhin Koka, accused of committing the criminal offenses, "Smuggling of goods for which excise duty is paid, or with full or partial suspension of customs or excise duties", committed in collaboration, "Active corruption of persons exercising public function" committed in collaboration, "Theft", committed in collaboration, provided for by articles 172/3 and 25, 244 paragraph 2 and 25, 134/3 and 25 of the Criminal Code.
Drilon Malluta, accused of committing the criminal offenses, “Active corruption of persons exercising public function”, committed in collaboration, and “Theft” committed in collaboration, provided for by articles 244 paragraphs 2 and 25, 134/3 and 25 of the Criminal Code;
Mohammad Sallit, Syrian citizen, acting as captain of the ship, Nedio Mejdani, acting as first officer of the ship, accused of committing the criminal offense, "Smuggling of goods for which excise duty is paid or with full or partial suspension of customs or excise duties", committed in collaboration, provided for by article 172/3 and 25 of the Criminal Code;
Hasan Broud, Sami Shanata, Faez Ismaeil, Wissam Rostom, Syrian citizens, sailors of the ship, accused of committing the criminal offenses, “Smuggling of goods for which excise duty is paid or with full or partial suspension of customs or excise duties”, committed in collaboration, and “Theft”, committed in collaboration, provided for by articles 172/3 and 134/3 and 25 of the Criminal Code;
Samir Bayoumy, an Egyptian citizen, serving as the third engineer and chief mechanic of the ship, and Abdoulmohaimen Shanata, a Syrian citizen, a sailor of the ship, accused of committing the criminal offense of "Theft", committed in collaboration, as provided for in article 134/3 and 25 of the Criminal Code.
This criminal proceeding was registered based on the reference material of the Police Supervision Agency - Durrës-Kavajë Regional Directorate, in charge of police officer Armand Marvataj, at the Durrës Police Commissariat, and against citizens Juxhin Koka and Drilon Malluta, for the criminal offenses, "Passive corruption of persons exercising public functions" and "Active corruption of persons exercising public functions", committed in collaboration, provided for by articles 259/2 and 244/2-25 of the Criminal Code. Also, this matter is related to criminal proceedings no. 76 of 2025 of the Prosecutor's Office at the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction of Durrës, registered for the criminal offenses, "Smuggling of goods for which excise duty is paid, or with full or partial suspension, of customs duties, or excise duty", committed in collaboration, and "Theft", committed in collaboration, provided for by articles 172/3 and 134-25 of the Criminal Code, sent for competence to the Special Prosecutor's Office.
From the entirety of the investigative actions, it has resulted and been proven that the citizen, Juxhin Koka, in collaboration with the citizens Mohammad Sallit, acting captain of the ship, Nedio Mejdani, acting first officer of the ship, and Hasan Broud, Sami Shanata, Faez Ismaeil, Wissam Rostom, sailors of the Tunisian-flagged ship, "AYA ZANOYBYA", anchored in Porto Romano, Durrës, on 07.1.2025, planned, organized and carried out the smuggling of 200 tons of oil.
The ship "AYA ZANOYBYA" and the smuggled oil were seized as material evidence on 12.1.2025, as part of the police operation "Black Gold", conducted by the Durrës Local Police Directorate.
Investigations have shown that on 27.1.2025, citizens Juxhin Koka and Drilon Malluta offered the sum of 10,000 euros to police officer Armand Marvataj, assigned to guard the seized ship in Porto Romano, Durrës, in order to allow the extraction of the seized oil from the ship, which was carried out on the evening of 27.1.2025, in collaboration with the ship's crew; Samir Bayoumy, third engineer and technical officer of the ship, sailors Hasan Broud, Sami Shanata, Faez Ismaeil, Wissam Rostom and Abdoulmohaimen Shanata.
The monetary amount of 10,000 euros was found and seized as material evidence during the search of the apartment of police officer Armand Marvataj.
