TIRANA, July 31 – Prosecutors from Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, SPAK, in collaboration with German authorities, have dismantled a criminal group operating fraudulent call centers in Albania, targeting German citizens.
During a joint press conference on Thursday, SPAK prosecutor Eneid Nakuçi said six suspects were arrested in Albania and two others are still at large. The action follows a raid on an illegal call center last April, when significant digital and documentary evidence was seized.
“The analysis of the evidence, in coordination with German authorities, confirmed the existence of a structured criminal group aimed at defrauding foreign nationals through unregistered call centers,” Nakuçi said. The group caused over 363,000 euros in financial damage.
The Special Court has issued pre-trial detention for five suspects and house arrest for three others. Two of the suspects are currently abroad.
German police officer Oliver Hofman, who led operation codenamed “Pandora,” described it as a major breakthrough in the fight against international fraud networks.
The investigation, which began in December 2023, involved wiretapping over 20 scam calls, setting up a decoy call center to intercept them in real time, and tracking operations in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, and Lebanon.
The crackdown has so far targeted 12 call centers, led to numerous arrests, and resulted in the first convictions, including the ringleader in Germany.
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