Klevis Hocošmani (37) and his 42-year-old brother Artur were taken into custody on Saturday by the organized crime unit of Albania for their alleged role in a scheme to transport large amounts of drugs from Latin America to the UK and the European Union, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Hoçošmani is connected to Keda Ajazi, the daughter of Majlinda Bregu, a former Minister of European Integration in Albania. Following two terms as Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), she joined the Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health (PECCH), established under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO), in a co-chair position.

The couple is well-known in Albania for showcasing their extravagant lifestyle on social media, including regular visits to London, Dubai, and Monaco, where they were recently spotted in high-end fashion while exiting a luxury vehicle.

Hoçošmani’s arrest has ignited discussions in Albania concerning the actual source of his wealth.

The Albanian Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) is now investigating the matter, which led to his arrest.

The prosecution in Albania claims that Hoçošmani and his brother were elements of a significant international criminal organization that included at least nine other members.

This group is accused of trafficking drugs from Colombia or Ecuador, which were then moved by both sea and land into the UK.

The authorities allege they were responsible for a 250-kilogram cocaine shipment that was confiscated in France in April 2020, purportedly on its way to the UK.

Communications on the encrypted platform “Sky/ECC” reportedly reveal the group’s panic upon discovering that the drugs had been seized.

Hoçošmani has strong connections to the UK, with Company Registry information linking him to three businesses in Bournemouth.

He is registered as the director of Crystal Hand Car Wash, a venture founded in 2013 that ceased operations in 2015. He previously held the director position at Barrack Road Tyres, a tire shop in Christchurch, which has since changed ownership.

Hoçošmani remains the director of “Opa Coffee Limited,” which is registered at a vacant location next to Central Park in central Bournemouth.

He also has a criminal history in the UK, having pleaded guilty in 2014 to assaulting a woman, resulting in a community service sentence and a compensation order.

His brother, Arthur, owned a local car wash, “Ferndown Hand Car Wash,” where two men, an Afghan and an Iraqi, were recently apprehended for violating bail conditions.

According to the prosecutors, the criminal organization procured cocaine from South America. The narcotics were allegedly shipped in containers to major European ports, such as Antwerp in Belgium and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, then overland to France and finally via the Channel Tunnel to the UK.

The drugs were concealed within wooden pallets, boxes of bananas, bags of cocoa beans, and occasionally in shipments of timber.

The group reportedly utilized pseudonyms and conducted financial transactions through the informal “Havala” system, relying on trusted intermediaries for the transfer of money.

“The organizational framework of this criminal group, which spans multiple continents and has identified 16 members thus far, highlights the sophistication of Albanian criminal networks and their reach in the global crime market,” stated prosecutors Altin Dumani and Adnand Jolli.

The criminal enterprise was described as hierarchical, with leaders managing and financing the smuggling operations, overseeing the distribution of drugs through Europe, and having associates in destination cities, such as the UK, responsible for supplying local dealers.

Members of the group were located across the UK, various EU countries, Dubai, and the UAE, with claims that they received assistance from customs officials and port workers.

One alleged member, Erion Alibey, is currently cooperating with the prosecution. He testified in court that his associate was assaulted in London after a shipment of 50 kilograms of cocaine went missing.

SPAK has seized a luxury yacht and a variety of vehicles, which include a Mercedes Benz AMG G63, a Volkswagen Golf 7, and a Volkswagen Sharan.

Additionally, two luxury watches, 16 mobile phones, 19 bank cards, and three firearms complete with frames and ammunition were also confiscated.

The co-defendants of the Hoçošmani brothers, Plarent Dervishi and Erion Alibey, appeared in court the following day, where Judge Erion Bani approved the prosecution’s request for them to remain in custody until the trial commences.

Two other suspects, Elidon Skendaj and Ilir Ljoshi, are still on the run.

The Albanian prosecution reported that their investigation was supported by police forces from the United Kingdom and the European Union.

“This successful investigation, spearheaded by SPAK, is the outcome of effective inter-institutional and international collaboration, particularly with EUROPOL, EUROJUST, agencies of EU Member States, and UK law enforcement, who assisted through comprehensive data analysis and effective international coordination.”

“The material obtained from analyzing decrypted data from the Sky/ECC system was crucial in enhancing the evidence collected during the investigation, proving invaluable in achieving significant outcomes.”

“This information played a vital role in identifying grave crimes, suspects, and establishing their roles within this organized crime group.”

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