Press Release

Prosecution Office for Serious Crimes has completed its investigation and sent for trial 11 people, part of a structured criminal group known as the "Santas" accused of "armed robbery", "serious injury", "illegal possession of weapons" and "committing offenses under the criminal group. According to the investigation, the Prosecution Office has filed charges for this group of persons for 13 criminal episodes.

The investigation of this criminal group began at the Prosecution Office for Serious Crimes, according to some references of the State Police, after several criminal incidents that occurred in 2013 and 2014 in Tirana, Durres, Lac, Fushe-Kruje and Kucova.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the Prosecution Office for Serious Crimes accuses, for active participation in criminal structured group, the citizens:

1. Ilir Kupa
2. Fatmir Pjetri
3. Agustin Sula
4. Julian (Enea) Qerrushi
5. Dritan Kola
6. Saimir Kala
7. Mark Shpendi
8. Hajdar Sefa
9. Lin Kala
10. Edmond Selala
11. Angjelin Ndreka

Thefts made by this group have certain common elements in the mechanism of performance, such as:

- Use of stolen cars to move, mainly in Milot area at the moment that the drivers stopped to rest with the keys inside the vehicle;

- Hiding the vehicle, by changing the plates in some cases and in some others they have used the same plates. They copy the plates of another vehicle similar to the stolen one.

- Burning the vehicle that they have used to move before and after the theft, as well as moving with other vehicles;

- The manner of theft execution, where one of the offenders stays at the door of the building as a guard if the police would come. This person is tall and keeps always a gun.

- Use of masks, gloves or clothes with the inscription ‘policia’ (‘police’)

- The division of roles in the conduction of the theft; someone will steal the vehicle, another one will find the weapons, clothes or will steal;

- The persons who steal have common physical features;

- The stolen objects are jewelry shops.