Former Head of Criminal Police Erjon Dani: SPAK cocaine-trafficking and illegal-influence case (July 2025)
Status: Charged per SPAK's statement (July 2025); trial status not found in the sources retrieved.
Summary
SPAK's operation, announced on 11 July 2025, targeted a group said to have run international drug trafficking from Latin America toward Europe through Albania, using encrypted messaging. Seven people were arrested and six declared wanted, in an operation covering Elbasan, Vlorë, Shkodër and Tirana. SPAK names former Head of the Criminal Police Erjon Dani, who is accused of abuse of duty for giving TIMS police-database information to a trafficker and of offering or receiving payments tied to leniency.
Dani surrendered at the Himara police station. Reporting says six of the wanted suspects are believed to be in Dubai. These are SPAK's allegations; no trial verdict was found.
Key facts
- Seven arrested, six wanted; operation in Elbasan, Vlorë, Shkodër and Tirana (Shqiptarja, 11 Jul 2025).
- Seized from the trafficking episodes: 3,585 kg cocaine, 701 kg cannabis, 4.2 kg heroin (SPAK figures as reported).
- During 12 searches: five vehicles, EUR 38,970, USD 200, eight mobile phones (some encrypted), a rifle and ammunition (as reported).
- Charges reported: organised-crime group activity 2020-2021 with seven episodes of international drug trafficking; three episodes of illegal influence over people holding public functions (offers of EUR 7,500 and EUR 4,000); abuse of duty by the former police official.
- Operation also covered an attempt to smuggle 55 Syrian citizens into Italy, discovered January 2021 at the Vjosa estuary (as reported).
The record
Four lists kept apart on purpose: what is established, what is only alleged, what is still open, and what those concerned said.
What is proven (1)
Established by documents or official records, as stated in the research. A recorded charge or indictment proves only that the accusation was made.
- SPAK announced the operation, the arrests and the charges, as reported on 11 Jul 2025.
What is alleged (1)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationThat Dani provided police-database access to the trafficking group and sought to influence judicial outcomes.
Allegations and who made them (2)
Each line is an allegation as recorded, with the person or body that made it where the record names them.
- AllegationSPAK alleges Erjon Dani abused his duty by giving TIMS police-database information to a trafficker (as reported by Shqiptarja, 11 Jul 2025).
- AllegationSPAK alleges the group offered EUR 7,500 and EUR 4,000 for leniency in judicial matters (as reported).
Open questions (3)
- Trial and verdict status; whether the six wanted suspects were extradited.
- How police-database (TIMS) access was logged and who else had access.
- Whether the case is connected to the Sky ECC evidence chain used against Erzen Brecani and Dedan Gjoni (case-erzen-brecani-sky-ecc-2023); the reporting retrieved does not say.
Responses (1)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- No statement from Dani found in the reporting retrieved (July 2025 coverage).
Figures
Money trail →Cash and assets seized in 12 searches (cocaine network case)
€38,970
Stated definition: Seized during 12 searches; also USD 200 and five vehicles, eight phones (as reported). Not a verdict amount.
Date: 11 Jul 2025 · Payer: Suspects (as alleged) · Payee: State (seizure)
- Operacioni i SPAK: 7 të arrestuar, 13 urdhër-arrestime (opens in a new tab)Shqiptarja · 11 Jul 2025 · journalism · SQ
Alleged payments offered for judicial leniency (three episodes of illegal influence)
€7,500
Stated definition: EUR 7,500 and EUR 4,000 are the two offer amounts reported; the total of all episodes is not stated.
Date: 11 Jul 2025 · Payer: Trafficking group (as alleged) · Payee: Persons holding public functions (as alleged)
- Operacioni i SPAK: 7 të arrestuar, 13 urdhër-arrestime (opens in a new tab)Shqiptarja · 11 Jul 2025 · other · SQ
Timeline
Full timeline →SPAK
SPAK operation against Latin America cocaine network; former Head of Criminal Police named
SPAK announces seven arrests and six wanted persons in an operation involving a former senior police official (Erjon Dani), TIMS database misuse and cocaine trafficking episodes.
Connections
Named accused, SPAK cocaine case
Evidence: SPAK operation of 11 Jul 2025; surrendered; charges as reported.
Hypotheses
Possible explanations that connect this record with other findings. They are not findings; each lists the evidence for and against.
- Source label: Unverified
Recurring pattern: former senior police officers sell access to police databases to drug groups
Erjon Dani is accused of giving TIMS police-database information to a trafficker. Earlier SPAK cases, including Erzen Brecani and Dedan Gjoni (Sky ECC, existing in the dataset), involve former police officials named in encrypted-chat evidence. If the allegations hold, the common element is insider access to police systems. This would link the drug-trafficking cases to the Sky ECC chain and to the police leadership changes (Proda dismissal) in the dataset.
Evidence for
- SPAK accuses Dani of abuse of duty for giving TIMS database information to a trafficker (Shqiptarja, 11 Jul 2025).
- Brecani and Gjoni are linked to Sky ECC chats in existing dataset case-erzen-brecani-sky-ecc-2023.
- Police-data misuse is a recurring allegation across the SPAK police cases listed in the dataset.
Evidence against
- Each case is a set of allegations; no conviction for TIMS misuse was found in the sources retrieved.
- The Dani operation is described in SPAK's statement without explicit reference to Sky ECC evidence; the link is inferred.
- The Sky ECC evidence is contested before the Constitutional Court (reported), so cross-case links depend on that outcome.
- No evidence links Proda to the drug network; his link is to the AKSHI case.
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 2 sources.
Source label: Officially reportedOfficially reported · 2 sources
- Publisher
- Shqiptarja
- Date
- 11 Jul 2025
- Publisher
- BalkanWeb
- Date
- Jul 2025