A case that began with a joint operation between SPAK and the Guardia di Finanza in Italy has taken a new development after the decision to lift the seizure of assets worth around 4 million euros in Verona.
In July 2025, Albanian and Italian authorities seized a building on Murari Bra Street, with around 30 commercial premises and offices, as well as a complex in Nogarole Rocca.
According to suspicions raised by Albanian authorities, these assets were purchased by the company Meral Srl, owned by the Çela family, with income that was suspected of coming from illegal activities, including cocaine trafficking.
But on August 4, 2025, the preliminary investigation judge in Verona, Paola Vacca, decided to cancel the seizure measure and return the assets to the owners.
According to the court’s decision, documents presented by the defense showed that the purchase of the assets was made with proceeds from legal activities. The defense also argued that members of the Çela family had not been convicted in trials that had ended in criminal verdicts.
After the seizure was lifted, the legal representative of the company Meral Srl filed a false report against the former head of SPAK, Altin Dumani.
The Verona prosecutor’s office initially requested the case be closed, but judge Enrico Zuccon decided that further verifications should be carried out.
Italian investigators are expected to review the documentation sent by Albanian authorities, as well as whether Tirana was aware of previous decisions to archive investigations against the Çela family.
Dumani’s defense has again requested that the case be shelved, claiming that the report is intended to influence his role in other investigations.
For the moment, the procedure remains open. The Italian prosecution has a two-month deadline to complete the verifications, after which the parties will appear again before the judge for a decision.