A massive operation involving Finland in Albania - criminal network leaders arrested
Police of Finland
4.6.2025 13.13
News item
A long-planned large-scale operation targeting the top leaders and middle management of an Albanian-led criminal network was carried out in Albania on the third of June 2025. Thus far, a total of 55 persons have been convicted in different court instances and almost 300 kilos of drugs seized in the case concerned in Finland.
The operation was carried out in cooperation with Albanian Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK). Officers from the National Bureau of Investigation and the Southwestern Finland and Helsinki Police Departments participated in the operation in Albania.
The criminal investigation was launched in March 2023 when the Southwestern Finland Police Department and the National Bureau of Investigation seized over a hundred kilos of amphetamine and cocaine. At the same time the Helsinki Police Department also seized several dozen kilos of amphetamine in its investigation. It was discovered during the criminal investigation that both of these cases had links to the same criminal network with an Albanian background led from Albania.
To step up the investigation and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice, the authorities of Finland and the Albanian SPAK set up a joint investigation team (JIT) in late 2023.
- This was necessary because Albanian law does not allow the extradition of Albanian citizens to another country, so international cooperation was needed to bring the perpetrators to justice and stop the criminal activity, says the leader of the JIT, Detective Chief Inspector Hans Fagerström of the National Bureau of Investigation.
The Finnish members of the JIT come from the National Bureau of Investigation and the Southwestern Finland and Helsinki Police Departments.
- The arrests made during this operation are a major step forward in stopping the activity of the criminal network, and the operation shows that the authorities carry out close and effective cross-border cooperation, Detective Chief Inspector Fagerström continues.
The criminal network concerned has operated in Finland, Albania and several other European countries, but its activities have mainly been run from Albania. It is suspected that the criminal network has delivered, among others, a total of 425 kilos of amphetamine, 34 kilos of cocaine and hundreds of kilos of marijuana to Finland from different European countries since early 2023.
The police have previously published information about the criminal investigations completed in Finland, which have subsequently also led to convictions. Most of the judgments issued are already final. The criminal investigation and consideration of charges for those who were arrested in this operation in Albania will be conducted by the Albanian authorities.
Criminal investigations by Southwestern Finland Police Department considered by district court
In 2023, the Southwestern Finland Police Department's drug crime unit started to investigate an aggravated narcotics offence case where an organisation led by Albanians smuggled amphetamine and cocaine, among others, to Finland from the Netherlands. It was established during the investigation that a total of 176 kilos of amphetamine, 14 kilos of cocaine and 1,620 Oxydolor 80 mg tablets had been smuggled to Finland between December 2022 and March 2023. The police seized around 88 kilos of this amphetamine, around nine kilos of the cocaine, and all Oxydolor 80 mg tablets. Nine persons were sentenced to imprisonment for different periods.
The activity was professional; the drugs were smuggled hidden in the structures of a lorry. Persons had also been sent to Finland from abroad to receive the drugs and distribute them further.
In 2024, the Southwestern Finland Police drug crime unit investigated a case involving drug smuggling led by Albanians where around 160 kilos of marijuana were smuggled to Finland. The police seized around 40 kilos of these drugs.
The drugs were smuggled in summer 2024 in postal consignments to Turku. The consignments were again received by persons sent to Finland from abroad, who also distributed the drugs in the country following the instructions given to them. The drugs were mainly distributed in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
In January 2025, the Varsinais-Suomi District Court sentenced seven persons to imprisonment for different periods for the illegal import and distribution of marijuana in Turku.
Cooperation between national police units in both of these criminal investigations played a significant role in the overall detection of the cases.
Dozens of suspects in criminal investigations conducted by Helsinki Police Department
In connection with the present case, the Helsinki Police Department has detected several drug distribution rings operating in the Helsinki metropolitan area, in particular. Significant amounts of drugs, mostly amphetamine and marijuana, were seized during the criminal investigations completed in 2023-2025. Some information about these investigations has already been published. On the basis of these investigations, several dozen people have been sentenced to unconditional imprisonment by the District Courts of Helsinki and Eastern Uusimaa.
In early 2023, the police investigated persons with an Albanian background who were suspected of organising large-scale drug trafficking. As a result of intelligence collection by the police, the number of suspects increased, and two amphetamine seizures of around 40 kilos were made, one in spring 2023 and the other in September that same year.
- It was confirmed during the criminal investigation that separate actors belonging to the network in Finland were directed by the same actors from Albania. We also managed to gather quite strong evidence on the complicity of the responsible persons in drug trafficking to Finland. One of the main organisers was already previously arrested in Serbia based on a European arrest warrant, says the head of the Helsinki Police investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Markku Juurikkamäki.
The investigation into the criminal network was continued in real time and, thanks to excellent international exchange of information, the police also detected a separate drug distribution ring which operated in 2023 and 2024 and smuggled up to hundreds of kilos of marijuana and significant amounts of cocaine to Finland. This investigation was initiated after detecting a person who, on the basis of information exchange, was part of the same network in Albania. When the target person arrived in Finland, as a result of intelligence gathered the police managed to extend the investigation to persons previously unknown to the authorities. Most of the drugs were distributed in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The criminal investigation was completed in two parts and considered by the Helsinki District Court in autumn 2024 and spring 2025.
- Albanian criminal networks have been responsible for most of the drugs distributed in the Helsinki metropolitan area, so this operation that we carried out has a direct impact on actors in the area, Detective Chief Inspector Juurikkamäki says.
Criminal leaders to be brought to justice - not only low-level actors
Close cooperation between the SPAK and Finnish authorities has been a key element in the investigation, enabling the arrests and the fact that top leaders of the criminal networks are being brought to justice.
- Lasting results in combating drug trafficking also requires bringing the top leaders and middle management of criminal networks to justice. Arresting only couriers and those receiving drug deliveries and dealing drugs in the street is not enough if the actors running the activity are not reached. When the leaders are caught and brought to justice, this will ideally stop the activity of the entire criminal group - not only disrupt it for a while, explains Fagerström.
Drug trafficking in Finland has become extremely international, and there are currently several foreign groups operating in the Finnish drug market. Albanian and Swedish criminal groups are major actors along with other international groups.
Albanian criminal groups have created extensive networks especially in Europe but also on transport routes between South-American producer countries and Europe. These groups are known for good networking and their severe potential for violence and ability to organise big drug deliveries through several countries. The arrests made during the present operation constitute concrete action to tackle this larger phenomenon.
The investigation has been supported by the Operational Network (@ON) financed by the European Commission and led by the Italian Antimafia Investigation Directorate (DIA).
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