Crime group operating in US, EU, Kosovo, 50 arrested for cocaine and immigrant trafficking destroyed

State police in Albania reportedly are participating in another international operation to hit a criminal group involved in smuggling migrants and document fraud.

Europol co-ordinated the investigation, facilitated the exchange of information and secured analytical and criminal support.

Europol also financed the deployment of officers from Albanian State Police who participated in the action day in Spain.

Under the operation for the crackdown on smugglers operating abroad, 46 citizens have been arrested in Spain.

Criminal networks facilitated the illegal entry of more than 400 citizens from the Western Balkans into the United Kingdom and the United States.

The investigation is directed by the Spanish National Police, in close co-operation with the Albanian Police and the authorities of law enforcement and immigration in Austria, France, Italy, Slovenia, Kosovo, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States, with instructed officers to dismantle an organised crime group involved in smuggling migrants and document fraud.

False documents, financial documentation, illegal activity records, electronic devices, money and various drugs (kanabis, cocaine, and synthetic drugs) have been seized.

Since 2019, the investigation has examined the growing use of specific types of documents forged by Western Balkan immigrants.

Previous stages of investigation led to the disposal of a criminal group identified on the Caribbean island of Saint Maarten, smuggling immigrants from the Western Balkans, with forged documents in the United States.

The couriers travelling to Kosovo and Albania to distribute counterfeit documents were also arrested in December 2020.

Four press bases for counterfeit documents in Kosovo were dismantled in March 2021.

So far, the investigation has led to 50 arrests, more than 400 migrants identified at airports and 1,000 forged documents.

The investigation targeted a criminal network based on the United Kingdom and Ireland, which managed the flights and expectations of migrants in those countries.

Intelligence shared by the US Department of National Security and National Security Investigation (HSI) led to identification of a high-value target in Spain. From there, the suspect and his associates facilitated the illegal entrance of migrants through various airports to Spain and Portugal into the United Kingdom, while providing them with counterfeit French identity cards. The operation in Europe is also linked to three ongoing criminal investigations in the United States.

On action day, Europol established a virtual command post to enable real-time information exchange among investigators and established an expert in Spain to control operational information against Europol databases and provide guidelines for field investigators.

State police are committed to working together with partners to prevent and fight organised crime and illegal trafficking.