Extraordinary operation at midnight / 15 high-risk prisoners transferred from the “VIP prison”

A rare operation carried out with extreme security measures took place in the early hours of the morning of January 15, 2026, during which 15 prisoners with extremely high risk profiles were transferred from Durrës Prison to IEVP Peqin, currently considered the most secure institution in the country.

The transfer was carried out shortly after midnight, escorted by dozens of police vehicles, with heightened security measures and strict protocols, while the convoy arrived at the Peqin prison premises at around 00:15. Unofficial sources confirm that this group includes some of the most dangerous figures in the criminal world, among them well-known names such as Lul Berisha.

The decision for the mass relocation of high-risk prisoners came immediately after the escape of Altin Ndoci from Durrës Hospital, an incident that shook the Albanian prison security system and highlighted the need for an immediate reorganization of prisons.

The operation focused on individuals with a high level of dangerousness who had until now been held at Durrës Prison, an institution also known as the “VIP prison” due to the conditions and the profile of some of its inmates.

Initially, it had been announced that some prisoners would be transferred to Fier Prison or other institutions, but the most dangerous ones were selected to be placed in Peqin, a prison that has a special high-security section and maximum control.

Unofficial sources indicate that 206 convicted inmates and detainees from Durrës Prison were screened to assess each individual’s level of risk. A day earlier, the Minister of Justice, Besfort Lamallari, ordered the drafting of a new national redistribution plan, dividing prisoners according to their social danger.

The key point of the order was the removal of all high-risk individuals from Durrës Prison, often described as having more comfortable conditions, and their placement in one of the seven high-security prisons operating in Albania.

Prior to this decision, a special section at Durrës Prison housed 27 high-risk individuals, part of a total of 54 convicted inmates and 152 detainees. The escape of Altin Ndoci, accused of several serious crimes, became the catalyst that set this wide-ranging operation in motion.

The transfer operation to Peqin is seen as a strong signal from the state aimed at restoring control and increasing security within the penitentiary system, especially after repeated violations and the discovery of hidden mobile phones during inspections at Durrës Prison.

Currently, Albania operates 20 correctional institutions, seven of which have high-security sections, where the most problematic elements of the criminal world are now being concentrated.

“KORÇA BOOM”