Today’s joint action is the culmination of several parallel investigations into different criminal offences, including murder, drug trafficking and money laundering, which ultimately converged on the same individuals.

On 25 May 2025, a bar fight in the Bari region of Italy quickly escalated into the brutal murder of a victim in an isolated cave in the Upper Murgia area. The murder investigation revealed links to drug trafficking activities allegedly managed by an Albanian national. As authorities pursued both the homicide and drug trafficking investigations, they identified a structured organised crime group involved in international money laundering. At the same time, a separate investigation targeting Albanian nationals operating in the Puglia region was already underway and focused on the same criminal network.

Eurojust supported the establishment of a JIT in December 2023 between the Italian and Albanian authorities, facilitating a coordinated investigation into the organised crime group. As a result of the joint investigation and coordinated action day, 15 individuals were held responsible on various charges, including premeditated murder committed using mafia methods, attempted extortion, illegal possession and carrying of firearms and ammunition, aiding and abetting, and violations of personal preventive measures. The investigation also uncovered the laundering of nearly EUR 1 million in criminal proceeds transferred from Italy to Albania through a structured organised crime group based in Tirana.

The joint action day builds on years of successful judicial cooperation between the Italian and Albanian authorities, supported by Eurojust. Between 2018 and 2026, the Bari District Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA) and the Special Anti-Crime Structure (SPAK) in Tirana established five JITs aimed at dismantling Albanian criminal organisations involved in the international trafficking of cocaine and heroin in Italy.

In addition to judicial coordination support, Eurojust provided the JITs with more than EUR 180 000 in funding to cover expenses related to the cross-border investigations, including travel, interpretation and translation, transport of seized items, forensic examinations and specialist expertise, thereby reducing pressure on national budgets.

The sustained cooperation through the five JITs, built on trust, dedication and close operational coordination, has led to more than 170 arrests between 2018 and 2026 and the seizure of over seven tonnes of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, hashish and marijuana. The investigations have also resulted in prison sentences of up to 20 years being imposed on defendants at various stages of the judicial process.

As the central hub for judicial cooperation in the EU, Eurojust is proud to support its partners in the fight against organised crime and to facilitate the effective use of judicial cooperation tools.

The actions were carried out by the following authorities:

• Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Bari – District Antimafia Directorate, Antimafia Investigation Directorate of Bari, State Police Mobile Squad of Andria, Security Attaché of the Italian Embassy in Tirana.
• Albania: Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK); Albanian State Police