Kosovo Police announced on Tuesday that after several months of investigation, they have arrested 22 individuals and dismantled an organized crime group involved in drug trafficking.
“The individuals were arrested on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of ‘organized crime’ in connection with drug trafficking and money laundering. The suspects are believed to have committed these offenses through the encrypted messaging app ‘SkyECC’,” authorities said in an official statement that also confirmed the launch of the investigation.
SkyECC is a subscription-based encrypted messaging application.
Police stated that the operation took place in the regions of Pristina, Prizren, Peja, and Gjilan, with 47 locations raided during the action.
Significant material evidence was seized during the searches, including narcotics, 129 vehicles, cash, and bank accounts frozen with a total of €500,000.
Among the seized items were “nine luxury brand wristwatches, 36 firearms of various types, 1,569 different bullets, 1,292 rounds of ammunition, one press machine for packaging heroin and cocaine, laptops, mobile phones, USBs, and various documents.”
The operation, dubbed “Broken Sky,” was supported by effective data exchange with authorities in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and EUROPOL, ensuring international police coordination.
The police and judicial authorities described this operation as the result of a long-term investigation targeting organized crime groups involved in international drug trafficking, money laundering, and other forms of organized crime.
