For nine years he lived on the run. He escaped four operations by the RENEA special forces, and several others by the local police.
A former soldier considered highly dangerous, sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison. And today, in a village in Maliq, the long story of his search ended in the most tragic way possible.
A police operation aimed at arresting a wanted man turned into an armed confrontation within minutes. Bullets spared no one. An officer of the Korça Police’s “Eagle” Force lost his life in the line of duty. His colleague was seriously injured.
Meanwhile, the wanted person himself was injured during the exchange of fire that shook the area and brought back to the center of the debate questions about how operations against high-risk individuals are organized.
How could this person stay out of jail for nine years? Why did four previous RENEA operations fail to neutralize him?
Was the risk properly assessed? And above all, could the loss of a police officer’s life have been avoided? A story that begins with a nine-year search and ends with a uniform covered in a flag. This is the event that shocked Albania.
THE FATAL OPERATION
On the afternoon of June 3, 2026, the Korça Police received a report from a resident of the area, that in the village of Lozhan in Maliqi, he had seen citizen Violand Braçellari. This person had been wanted for 9 years and the Police had no accurate information about his whereabouts. The information was evaluated to the maximum and a group was formed, making a rapid operational plan, with the aim of locating and arresting him. Meanwhile, the Police has been constantly in contact with the person who had provided the information, in order to inform them of his movements. Initially, the forces of the Maliqi Police Station and then those of the Korça Police Station, the “Eagle” forces, as well as the officers, including the director of the Korça Police and the deputy directors, were sent to the given address.
At least, as stated by the Director General of Police, Skënder Hita, around 40 police forces participated in the operation.
Initially, the wanted person was kept under surveillance until he entered his cabin, where he stayed with his mother, on Mount Boden, which is located about an hour from the village of Lozhan, where he was initially found. The operation began at around 4 am on June 4, 2026, and at around 7:00 am, the Police forces that had surrounded the facility where he was located began calling on him to surrender.
Violand Braçellari did not obey the call to surrender, on the contrary, with a Kalashnikov he opened fire on the police forces. As a result, the officer Enea Mekolli, 34 years old, an officer of the “Eagles”, was killed. At this moment, the police forces also responded with weapons to the wanted man. For several moments there was an exchange of fire, with shots being fired from both sides. Another officer of the “Eagles”, Edison Adri, 36 years old, was also seriously injured in the exchange of fire, as well as the author of the incident, 43-year-old Violand Braçellari. In the end, he was arrested.
Korca Police
In accordance with the plan of measures to capture wanted persons, based on the information provided on the location of a wanted person, with high risk, the services of the Korça Local Police Directorate, the Maliq Police Commissariat and the Korça Police Commissariat, have organized the work and have gone to the Lozhani area, on Mount Boden, Maliq Municipality. At around 07:30, the Police services surrounded the place (shack) where the wanted person was suspected of hiding, specifically the citizen Violand Braçellari, 43 years old, sentenced in 2017 to 9 years, 11 months and 7 days of imprisonment by the Korça Court, for the criminal offense “Production and sale of narcotics”, while in 2011 the security measure “Arrest in prison” was imposed on him, for the criminal offense “Cultivation of narcotic plants”. The Police Services called on the wanted person to come out and surrender, but he did not obey the Police call and opened fire on the Police officers, resulting in the death of the Police officer, Inspector Enea Mekolli, 34 years old, and the injury of the Police officer, Inspector Edison Adri, 36 years old, both employees of the “Eagle” Special Force of the Korça Local Police Directorate. In order to neutralize the wanted person’s attack, the Police Services responded with firearms and as a result of the exchange of fire, the wanted person, citizen Violand Braçellari, was also injured, who was subsequently arrested.
Due to the difficult mountainous terrain and the distance from the nearest health center, a health helicopter was dispatched to the scene of the incident, which transported the injured to Korça Hospital. The injured officer was then transported for more specialized treatment to the Trauma Hospital in Tirana. Officer Edison Adri is in critical condition and was sent to the hospital intubated due to a wound in the neck and another in the jaw. While the suspected perpetrator of the incident was sent with wounds to the abdomen and limbs and also after initial treatment at the Korça Hospital, he was transported to the Trauma Hospital.
On the other hand, the investigation team continued with the actions at the scene, where inside the hut, where the wanted Braçellari was hiding, his mother was also found. She was accompanied to give explanations to the Korça Police, as the only witness to the gunfight. The entire area and other premises surrounding the scene were checked, also based on the perpetrator’s precedents in terms of cultivating narcotics, but nothing illegal was found, only the cattle that he kept with his mother. However, investigations continue to determine whether Violand Braçellari used the hut on Mount Boden only for shelter and to evade justice, or for other criminal purposes.
AUTHOR OF THE EVENT
Violand Braçellari, 43 years old, the suspected perpetrator of the murder of the “Eagles” officer in Maliq and the wounding of the other officer with a Kalashnikov, is a person with a significant criminal record since 2011.
Violand Braçellari was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in prison in 2013 for drug cultivation and was arrested again two years later for the same charge. On September 29, 2015, after information received at the time by the Korça Police that two vehicles loaded with narcotic plants were circulating in the area called “Çezma e Senishtit”, the Police arrested Braçellari and several other people.
During the search of a “Mercedes Benz” vehicle in which Violand Braçellari was also present, plastic bags and gloves were found, which investigators considered to be items that could be used in the processing and packaging of narcotics.
Regarding this case, behind which it was suspected that other unidentified persons were also hiding, the Police conducted searches in several apartments, including the apartment of Violand Braçellari, where 10.8 grams of dried cannabis sativa residue and an electric heater were found. These residues of the narcotic substance were considered by the prosecution as part of a wider criminal activity, which would later be proven by the findings on his phone.
Prosecution file
From the search carried out in the apartment, which is owned by Shefqet Braçellari, but in the possession of the defendant Violand Braçellari and his family, it was found that on its second floor and precisely in a room on the western side, there was a radiator and on the surface under the floor of this room, dried plant remains with a smell and color similar to that of the narcotic plant, of the cannabis sativa type, were found. These items were taken and seized as material evidence by the judicial police. From the weighing of the quantity of the plant found in the above location, it resulted that it weighed 10.8 grams. From the chemical expertise act, dated 24.05.2026, it resulted that this plant material is a mixture of plant parts with cannabis, a herbal product of the cannabis sativa plant. An inspection of this apartment revealed that it was supplied with electricity, which was used to power the heater, from the apartment owned by the defendant and his family, owned by Mitat Braçe.
From the “Black Berry” mobile phone, seized by the Police, communications with two people registered under the names “Sandri” and “Toni” were revealed. According to the investigative file, in addition to conversations that the perpetrator had with other people about the control of plants, the drying process, the transport and weighing of the narcotic substance, photographs were also found on this mobile phone that proved his illegal activity.
In this regard, the judicial police officer, who is also the former head of the Anti-Drugs Office, has given statements to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecution file
In the person’s video, there was footage of domestic animals being loaded with narcotics. In another apartment, they kept livestock, we found nothing, and in another apartment, there was livestock again, and one of the group members found that it was a heater and there were narcotics residues. We did not conduct a specific check, going from one building to another, as we thought there would be a large amount of narcotics, based on the photos on the cell phone. The expert arrived later. The father was not there, only the mother and the headman. I did not recognize the defendant, this is the second time I have seen him. The deputy director communicated the information about the search of the apartment to me. We went to the headman and then to Sabri’s apartment, nearby. There we found the parents. We did not find anything in their apartment. We only drew up a report of the search for everything. When the narcotics were found, all the people who signed were there, except the father.
According to the investigation file, after cultivating the narcotic substance, the author transported it with animals to continue drying and packaging and finally selling it. The Korça Court declared him guilty and sentenced him to 9 years, 11 months and 7 days of imprisonment, a decision that was upheld by the Appeal and then by the Supreme Court in January 2024. But the decision against him was given in absentia, after the Korça Court of Appeal had changed his security measure from “arrest in prison” to “compulsory appearance” and since then he had evaded justice. His name is also included in other criminal proceedings. In 2024 he was charged with intentional minor injury, while at the beginning of 2026 the Korça Court ordered his notification for a court process, as he was not found at his declared residential address.
In conclusion, taking into consideration all the evidence, circumstances and testimony, the Korça Court of First Instance, on December 19, 2017, decided to find Violand Braçellari guilty and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Court decision
Taking into account his consistent denial of the criminal offense; the fact that despite the small amount of narcotics found, its quantity was considerable, but its location was not revealed; the fact that this criminal offense has a fairly high prevalence, etc. Based on the above, the Court assesses that the defendant is in an aggravating position. Assessing in complexity the social dangerousness of the defendant, the dangerousness of the criminal offense, the above circumstances, which are considered important for the individualization of the sentence, the sentence provided for by the provision of 7-15 years of imprisonment, the Court assesses that the defendant should be sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for the criminal offense “Production and sale of narcotics”, committed in collaboration. The sentence will be served in a regular security prison and will begin from the date of execution of this decision, also calculating the period of detention served by the defendant during the preliminary investigations.
This decision was also upheld by the Korça Court of Appeal on July 17, 2018. The defendant Violand Braçellari appealed against this decision to the High Court, claiming, among other things, that:
Violand Braçellari’s lawyer
It has been explained that the phone was purchased by the defendant used and that this defendant not only did not know about the existence of those images on that phone, but also does not know how to use that device, which is not common and not easily usable. But even if he had known about those images, as long as there is no evidence to prove that those images were filmed by that cell phone itself and not sent to that cell phone on the one hand and on the other hand as long as there is no appearance of this defendant in those images, how can this data be used as evidence for raising such an accusation that is not related to those images at all, since in this specific case this defendant is not accused of the narcotic substance that is evidenced in those images but for a quantity of 10 grams of residue found in an abandoned apartment in the village of Lozhan, but owned by citizen Shefqet Braçellari. So it easily turns out that in the trial, the prosecution did not present any logical, procedurally valid evidence in order to substantiate the accusation that it itself raised against this defendant. The inspection report was abusively signed by persons who did not participate in the inspection, such as the defendant’s father, citizen Luan Braçellari, who objectively could not participate, because he is a man without legs who cannot walk.
But despite the defense’s claims, the Supreme Court did not accept Violand Braçellari’s appeal and, with a decision dated January 25, 2024, upheld the Appeals Court’s decision.
And yet, the accused has continuously evaded justice and has continued to remain on the run for nearly 9 years, since the moment when the Korça Appeal changed his security measure, leaving him under “compulsory appearance” in 2017.
FAILED OPERATIONS
Violand Braçellari, from the first moments of evading justice, from the very criminal offense for which he was accused, but also his past as a former professional soldier, has been assessed by the Korça Police as a highly dangerous person. For his arrest and bringing to justice, several Police operations have been carried out, which in fact have failed. It even turns out that 4 of these operations were organized by the RENEA special forces. Due to their non-finalization, all these actions have not been made public, but all Police structures, local and central, have been aware of their failures. The fact of the development of these operations was also confirmed by the Director General of the Police, Skënder Hita. During the press conference, however, he articulated several times the fact that he had not received information about the action of June 4 from the Korça Local Police Directorate.
After the serious incident, where one officer was killed and another was injured, an in-depth analysis has already begun, not only to understand what went wrong in the latest operation, but also in the previous ones when he was not arrested. An analysis to understand why those operations were not finalized, what made the target so difficult, whether he had inside information or even whether the level of danger he posed was correctly assessed.
A disciplinary investigation has already been launched by the General Directorate of Police, due to the circumstances under which it was decided that the operation would be carried out by the Korça Police Directorate, without informing the General Director, or even the National Security Force, as is the case in operations that are considered high-risk. But on the other hand, a criminal investigation has also been launched by the Police Supervision Agency and the Korça Prosecutor’s Office, to determine whether there is legal responsibility in relation to what happened.
In similar operations, when the target is considered to be of high risk, the RENEA special forces are tasked by the Directorate of the National Security Force to carry out the operation. The protocol clearly defines the intervention. The Director of the Local Police makes a request to the Director of the National Security Force, the latter orders the commander of the RENEA special forces and everything is prepared for the launch of the operation. One or two units may participate, consisting of negotiators, snipers and forces with the necessary equipment that keep the situation under control, stay in contact for hours with the surrounded person and then intervene. History has shown that such operations have been successful also due to the tactics, experience and practice followed by RENEA. It happens that there are consequences but not from the ranks of the Police. However, in the operation of June 4, this practice was not followed. The motives are expected to be clarified at the conclusion of the investigation and analysis that is already underway.
The investigations into the serious incident in Lozhan, where as a result of the exchange of fire, the officer Enea Mekolli was killed and Edison Adri was injured, have discovered 3 firearms in the shelter where Violandi Braçellari was hiding. The Kalashnikov, with which he shot at the Police, a model 56 rifle and a pair of pistols. No ammunition was found from the checks, which leads to the belief that Braçellari used the entire arsenal he possessed to shoot at the officers involved in the operation to capture him. In the place where the wanted man was hiding, the police also found a police radio and, during the operation, the officers turned off their radios so as not to interfere with Braçellari’s.
KILLED EFFECT
For the Mekolli family, the killing in the line of duty of 34-year-old Enea Mekolli is the second tragedy to happen to them within 10 years. In 2016, Enea’s brother, Edison Mekolli, lost his battle to a serious illness, when he was only 25 years old. He was also a police officer. According to relatives, Enea even joined the ranks of the blue uniforms, to fulfill his brother’s wish. This was also the reason why the family decided that despite the immediate start of the procedures to declare him a “Martyr of the Homeland”, their son would be buried next to his brother, in the cemetery of his native village, in Blace, Pogradec.
On June 5, Enea Mekolli, a 34-year-old State Police officer who died in the line of duty, was escorted to his final resting place amidst tears and pain.
The tributes were held at the “Lasgush Poradeci” Cultural Center, attended by President Bajram Begaj, Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu, Minister of Interior Besfort Lamallari, Director General of the State Police Skënder Hita, senior police leaders, local authorities, colleagues and hundreds of citizens.
The family members did not hide their dissatisfaction with the operation that killed Enea Mekolli. In the presence of President Bajram Begaj, the uncle of the killed officer burst into tears and demanded responsibility for the way the operation was organized.
At the tribute, dozens of officers stood out, standing in line in silence, many of them unable to hold back their tears for their colleague killed in the line of duty.
Relatives describe Enea Mekolli as a boy devoted to his family, a believer, and correct in his duty. He initially served in the Traffic Police, while for about two years he was part of the “Eagle” special force. Enea Mekolli left behind his parents, sister, wife, and infant son, only 9 months old. Although the protocol provided for him to be buried in the cemetery of the Martyrs of the Homeland, the family’s wish was that the two brothers remain close to each other even after death.
In an atmosphere of deep sorrow and respect, the city of Pogradec bid farewell to the Martyr of the Homeland, State Police officer Enea Mekolli. Hundreds of citizens, family members, friends, colleagues and residents of the area paid homage at the Pogradec Cultural Center, honoring the sacrifice of the policeman who fell in the service of order and security of citizens. The coffin covered with the national flag was accompanied by the honors of his colleagues, while the extraordinary participation of citizens testified to the respect and gratitude for the sacrifice of Enea Mekolli. For his high heroic act of service and sacrifice, he has been declared a Martyr of the Homeland.
In the end, beyond the debates over how the operation was organized, beyond the questions awaiting answers from the investigations, and beyond the profile of the person who had been wanted for years, one undeniable fact remains.
Another police officer lost his life in the line of duty.
And this is the hardest part of the uniform. A uniform that faces danger every day, often far from the public eye, in operations that never make the news and in confrontations where the difference between life and death can last only a few seconds.
The history of the State Police is filled with the names of officers who have paid the highest price in the service of citizens. To date, 232 State Police officers have been declared Martyrs of the Homeland, having lost their lives while performing their duties or because of them.
Behind every number lies a story. A family. A life interrupted. A sacrifice that should not be forgotten.
The recent incident in Maliq adds to this story of pain, but also of service and dedication. It reminds us that the security we enjoy every day comes at a cost. That behind every operation, after every arrest, and after every confrontation with crime, there are people who put their lives at risk to protect the lives of others.
The investigations will shed light on responsibilities, analyze operational decisions, and provide answers to many of the questions that the recent event has raised.
But one thing is certain.
A family has lost their loved one.
The State Police has lost a colleague.
And Albania has lost another servant of the law in the line of duty.
In respect of all those who never returned home after a service, and in honor of the 232 Martyrs of the State Police, we remember that their sacrifice remains the foundation on which the trust in law, order and security of citizens is built./Gjerat Tona