Full Breakdown
Eurojust-Coordinated Mega-Operation Dismantles Italy-Albania Criminal Network
5/29/2026, 4:35:00 AM
Murder of Francesco Diviesti Sparks International Crackdown
On 25 April 2025 Francesco Diviesti was attacked after a bar fight in Barletta, taken to an isolated spot in the Alta Murgia near Canosa di Puglia, shot five times with two pistols and his body burned in tires. An Albanian citizen is identified as the shooter; two Barletta residents—a man and a woman—are accused of covering up the crime and failing to report it. The case also includes attempted extortion and illegal weapons possession.
Cross-Border Investigation and Prior Operations
The murder probe merged with a wider inquiry into an Albanian-based money-laundering network operating from Tirana. Coordination was led by the Bari District Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA) and Albania’s Special Prosecutor’s Office for Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK), under Eurojust’s umbrella. Since 2018, five joint investigative teams have targeted Albanian criminal groups, and earlier operations codenamed “Shefi,” “Kulmi,” “Shpirti,” and “Ura” produced 170 precautionary measures, seized millions of euros and uncovered more than seven tons of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and hashish.
Key Developments and Arrests
The operation executed 15 precautionary measures across Italy, Albania and Spain. It resulted in 12 arrests and three international arrest warrants, targeting 11 Albanian citizens and four Italians (including four women placed under house arrest). Authorities seized €680,000 at the Murriqan border crossing on 14 Nov 2024 and identified roughly €1 million in drug-sale proceeds laundered to Albania.
Impact on Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering
The operation targets the Albanian-Italian nexus that has been central to cocaine and heroin trafficking. By seizing cash, dismantling laundering channels and apprehending key operatives, authorities aim to weaken the financial foundations of transnational organized crime.
Official Statements & Institutional Responses
Eurojust described the action as “the culmination of a long investigative work” between the Bari DDA, SPAK and the Albanian State Police. The Italian Antimafia Directorate highlighted the use of “mafia methods” in the murder as evidence of the network’s violent enforcement. Albanian authorities pointed to the €680,000 seizure at Murriqan as a concrete result of cross-border intelligence sharing.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the murder date—Italian reports cite 25 April 2025, while Balkanweb references 25 May of the previous year. The number of individuals directly arrested also varies: Balkanweb reports 12 arrests, whereas the Italian briefing mentions 15 precautionary measures, indicating a distinction between arrests, house arrests and other judicial actions.
What’s Next: Ongoing Prosecutions and Continued Cooperation
The 15 indicted suspects are subject to judicial proceedings in Italy and Albania. Both the DDA and SPAK have pledged to sustain the joint investigative framework, signaling further Eurojust-facilitated actions against organized-crime networks operating across the Mediterranean.
