The Judicial Police Officer of the Special Operational Force, Igli Haxhiaj, was arrested on November 27, 2025 by the Police Supervision Agency AMP, after the execution of the “prison arrest” security measure imposed by the Special Court.
Haxhiaj is accused of the criminal offenses of “Abuse of office”, “Disclosure of secret acts or data” and “Passive corruption of judges, prosecutors and other officials of the justice system”, provided for by articles 248, 295/a, paragraph (3) and 319/ç of the Criminal Code.
Preliminary investigations indicate that he disclosed to the suspects data from procedural acts that constituted “investigative secrets” and demanded irregular monetary benefits in exchange for this information.
“During the preliminary investigations for this criminal proceeding, the necessary evidence was collected, which proves that citizen IH, in his capacity as Judicial Police Officer in the Directorate of the Special Operational Force, in the General Directorate of the State Police, in charge of carrying out investigative and procedural actions for the criminal proceeding in question, disclosed to the suspects, data from procedural acts that constituted an “investigative secret” – the Special Prosecution Office states in its announcement.
The arrest of Igli Haxhiaj
The officer’s arrest is linked to a broad international investigation into a structured criminal group, which according to SPAK operated mainly in Albania and Italy.
“Citizen IH has sought irregular monetary benefits in exchange for disclosing secret data, and has committed further actions and omissions in violation of the law, which constitute a regular failure to fulfill his duty,” the prosecution explains.
The investigations were carried out within the framework of the Joint Investigation Team between the Special Prosecutor’s Office, the Anti-Mafia Prosecutor’s Office of Brescia and the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Switzerland. The group is suspected of having set up a scheme to transport cocaine from South America to Europe, entering the ports of the European Union and distributing it on Italian territory.
According to data from the Italian Prosecutor’s Office, the narcotics were transported overland by heavy-duty vehicles and then stored in six logistics bases in Italy, from where they were distributed.
The financial benefits of criminal activity were collected in cash and sent to the organizers through persons engaged in the physical transfer of money, including bus drivers on the Italy-Albania route.
“Within these bases that were used for the storage and storage of narcotics, the responsible persons are suspected of having continued to distribute quantities of narcotics and collect cash from the sale. The considerable amount of money generated from the trafficking of narcotics is suspected of having been transferred to the leaders of the criminal group through the so-called ‘money mules’ (financial couriers/transporters), who are part of the criminal group, which also included several bus drivers operating on the Italy-Albania route,” the prosecution explains.
In the framework of the operations carried out by the Italian authorities, 10 people were arrested, while over 550,000 euros, 10 vehicles, a semi-automatic pistol, and 130 kg of narcotics, with an estimated market value of around 12 million euros, were seized. In total, according to investigation data, over 1,300 kg of cocaine were seized during the various phases of the operation.
Of the 24 people against whom Italian authorities had imposed security measures, 6 were in Albania and 3 were arrested, including officer Igli Haxhiaj.
According to SPAK, the involvement of police officers in this matter was identified through the analysis of communications applied to the SKY ECC platform, which helped document the group’s activity.
This is not the first case that SPAK has identified the involvement of police forces in criminal groups. Previous investigations have shown that State Police officials have used their public office to support international drug trafficking networks, providing classified information, helping wanted persons evade arrest and being involved in laundering money obtained from criminal activities. The most recent case involves former police chiefs Dedan Gjoni and Jonida Babameto, who are suspected of collaborating with a structured criminal group operating between Albania, Europe and Latin America.
According to SPAK, these police officers have facilitated the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine, have distributed confidential data, have been involved in providing conditions for murder, and have helped hide illegal proceeds, proving a deep connection between corrupt elements of the police and the world of organized crime.
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