Ilir Shtufi, the businessman who was arrested in Thessaloniki, Greece, a day ago, after a security measure of arrest in prison was issued against him, turns out to be one of the people who laundered drug money in the construction field.
SPAK says that Ilir Shtufi is considered involved in illegal money laundering activities by acting on behalf of Luçiano Koçek, through involvement in a series of actions such as: sales, fictitious transfers, for the purpose of integrating the proceeds of Koçek’s criminal activity into the companies “Nova Construction” and “LTD”.
The financial data of the companies “LTD” and “Nova” shows a significant increase in monetary turnover for the years related to the criminal activity of the criminal group of Luçiano Koçek and that from the examination of the communications in “SKY ECC” of Luçiano Koçek it has been proven that Ilir Shtufi and his entities “Nova Construction” and “LTD” act according to the orders and orientations of Luçiano Koçek.
One of the properties built from drug money is the tower on “Rruga e Kavajës” in Tirana, called the “Garden Building”.
From the conversations held at “SKY ECC” there are communications between Luçiano Koçek and Genci Bedini, where it is learned that Ardian Zykaj wants another store on Kavajës Street, Tirana, with an area of 600 m2, as well as on the -1 floor, creating suspicions that Koçek has traces of integrating his monetary amounts obtained from narcotics trafficking into the building built on Kavajës Street.
From the verifications carried out regarding the constructions carried out on Kavaja Street, it is learned that the entity “Nova Construction” has advertised on its public data page that it has built the building “Tirana Garden Building” and that from the comparisons of the floor plans advertised by it and those ascertained in the communications carried out on “SKY ECC” between Luçiano Koçek and Genci Bedini, we are clearly dealing with the floor plan of the same constructed object.
The “Tirana Garden Building” building, 85 meters high, with 24 floors above ground and 4 floors below ground, with a built-up area of 65,000 m2, has the main contractor “Nova Construction”, where works for this building began in March 2018 and were completed in February 2021.
Justice associate Erion Alibej was also asked about this object, who stated that: “Regarding constructions carried out by Lir Shtufi, to which citizen Artur Koçeku and other persons active in the field of narcotics contributed “in cash”, there is also a building known as the “Red Palace” at “21 Dhjetori”, below the Mosque, Tirana, a construction in which Artur Koçeku has invested “in cash” half of the value of this building, as well as other persons.”