On Friday, Judge Lazer Sallaku of the Court of Tirana has ordered the release from detention of 4 people charged for the illegal transportation of €3.4 million seized in June 2018. The same applies to the other two suspects in the case who are still on the run. They will all be free, with only an obligation to appear before court during the ongoing trial.
The “Toyota Yaris” case involves €3.4 million seized in the Port of Durres in two cars in June 2018. The vehicles were found within a trailer on a ferry arriving from Italy to Durrës, alongside 8 more cars being transported and owned by an Albanian transport company. The vehicles had followed the Belgium–Germany–Italy–Albania route.
Few days before the police operation prompted by the Italian branch of Interpol, opposition leader Lulzim Basha warned from parliament that a large amount of money belonging to a drug trafficking gang in Elbasan was being transported from Germany to Albania. Basha stated that the head of Socialist Party parliamentary group Taulant Balla had arranged for its safe delivery to the criminal group. Balla denied any involvement.
Alban Mollaymeri, Klevis Cani and Edi, who face charges of money laundering on behalf a criminal group, and Agim Çekaj, charged with illegal possession of fire arms, left the prison after yesterday’s court decision.
Elvis Vladi and Alfred Vladi, who are on the run, won’t be detained during the trial. Prosecutors claim they were the ones to be delivered the money, had the transportation been successful.
More details on the “Toyota Yaris” case can be found here.
