Smuggling bust on Kapshticë-Bilisht road: Police seize illegal alcohol, arrest 1, charge 3 customs officials

Korçë / The police operation "Drinks" finalized by the Economic and Financial Crime Investigation Sector, targeting the smuggling of alcoholic beverages.

A citizen was caught in the act on the “Kapshticë – Bilisht” road axis, transporting alcoholic beverages smuggled from Greece. He has been arrested.

Three employees of the Kapshticë Customs Office are being criminally prosecuted for the offense of “Abuse of duty.”

The alcoholic beverages and the vehicle have been seized.

Specialists from the Economic and Financial Crime Investigation Section, as part of ongoing efforts to prevent, detect, and crack down on criminal activities in the field of economic and financial crimes — and based on information obtained through police intelligence — organized the police operation codenamed "Drinks", targeting a case of smuggling goods subject to excise duty.

During the operation, on the “Kapshticë – Bilisht” road axis, police services stopped a vehicle driven by citizen A. Ll.

Upon searching the vehicle, police officers found a quantity of alcoholic beverages suspected of having been smuggled into Albania without completing the customs clearance procedures.

As a result, citizen A. Ll., 53 years old, resident of Korçë, was arrested in flagrante delicto for the criminal offenses of “Smuggling of other goods” and “Smuggling of excise goods.”

Furthermore, case files were submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office, and proceedings were initiated for the offense of “Abuse of duty” against citizens K. P., 45 years old, A. G., 61 years old, and R. M., 40 years old (customs officers), as they are suspected of failing to carry out customs clearance procedures according to the law.

The case materials have been forwarded to the Prosecutor's Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction in Korçë for further action.

“KORÇA BOOM”