Police officers from various units — including Order, “Shqiponja,” FNSH, and RENEA — are being recruited by criminal groups as “employees,” informants, or collaborators. They are also being hired by businessmen who have legal or personal disputes.
The case of Muçi Sheqeri, an officer with the Police Oversight Agency (AMP), found inside Gilmando Dani’s car during yesterday’s assassination attempt, is not isolated. Similarly, Ervis Martinaj had a police officer as his personal driver. Jeton Lami, once part of the Operational Unit’s FAST squad, accompanied Martinaj to different locations while he was on the run, and it was later proven that he was the one who dropped Martinaj off in Durrës just days before his disappearance.
According to ongoing investigations, Muçi Sheqeri (known as Shaljani) also served as the driver for one of the most dangerous members of Emiljano Shullazi’s gang. He handled the movements of Gilmando Dani — a man with a serious criminal record, Shullazi’s right-hand man, sentenced to 12 years in prison, a sentence he completed in October 2024.
Ardit Hasanbegaj, an officer in the investigative and public order structures in Shkodër, was revealed through SKY ECC messages to be part of the Bajraj and Pëllumb Gjoka criminal groups. SPAK charged him with “providing conditions and material means to commit murder” against citizens Dorian Duli and Ibrahim Lici.
Oltion Bistri, former head of Operations and former Police Director of Durrës and Lezhë, was arrested as part of the same group.
Henrigert Mitri, former Police Director of Lezhë, had been recruited by a criminal group involved in cannabis cultivation and trafficking, as well as illegal gambling. His activity was uncovered through SKY ECC communications.
Dritan Metaj was arrested by SPAK as part of Gëzim Çela’s group, one of the largest drug trafficking networks in the country.
Arlind Ismailukaj, another police officer, was arrested in the same operation, codenamed “Flames at Sea.”
SPAK and other investigative structures believe that more officers are collaborating with criminal groups by providing them with sensitive information. A reliable source told Zoom.al that at least one police commissariat chief in Tirana is under investigation for suspected collaboration with one of the most dangerous criminal groups in the country.
These cases show how criminal organizations have managed to recruit or cooperate with law enforcement officers for criminal interests — from providing physical protection and avoiding police checks to securing confidential information about their own members or rival groups.
Why crime seeks the police
By recruiting police officers, criminal groups gain access to inside information. Officers have detailed knowledge of field operations, patrol movements, ongoing investigations, and surveillance networks. Such information is vital for a criminal group trying to avoid crackdowns or arrests, as they can be warned in advance.
Police officers are also armed and enjoy a certain degree of immunity from their colleagues while on duty. A police officer driving criminals acts as a guarantee that the vehicle will not be stopped or searched. At checkpoints, a simple “badge” or the phrase “we’re colleagues” is often enough to pass without inspection.
Which checkpoint would dare stop Gilmando Dani’s car if Muçi Sheqeri flashed his AMP ID — the very agency that oversees the police? Or who would stop Ervis Martinaj’s vehicle if Jeton Lami, from the Operational Unit, showed his credentials?
Similarly, criminal gangs recruit police officers because they carry licensed firearms, making them feel safer in any situation.
This phenomenon has corrupted the police to the core, especially in recent times. The opposition recently accused the General Director of State Police, Ilir Proda, of providing police vehicles to escort the wanted criminal Suel Çela from Elbasan to Tirana for a dentist appointment. Instead of strongly denying these accusations, Proda remained silent and issued no response.
Through the recruitment of police officers, criminal groups buy both safety and territorial control. According to SPAK investigations and SKY ECC intercepts, police officers involved in criminal networks have been used for internal espionage, tracking rivals, manipulating case files, and destroying evidence.
Finally, many businessmen with troubled pasts or current disputes are also hiring police officers — not necessarily for criminal activity but for personal security. While they may consider this a “normal employment,” it is still illegal. However, AMP, the agency tasked with monitoring police conduct, appears to have criminal elements within its own ranks.
These facts show that the situation has gone beyond ordinary crime — organized crime has become so powerful that it now exerts control even over police structures. The Ministry of Interior and the State Police may boast about statistics, but Albanians see the reality every day.
